Between Realities - Book 8 - A New Beginning
by Dragonsight Elli
Summary: Threadfall is coming to an end... and the people of Pern are anxious to reconnect with the rest of the galaxy... as well as restore all the technology they lost. Is inviting refugees from other worlds to set up colonies on Pern the way to do it? Will that seemingly simple act be enough to sway the more senior races out there? Will it bring the help and happiness they seek?


Between Realities – Book 8 – A New BeginningChapter 1 - The Final Threadfall (Elli's P.O.V.)

"Every dragonrider should be fighting this Fall," F'lar declared stoutly as he prepared his riders for this final Fall.

It was almost Christmas again, which meant Turnover was a week later, and that, of course, meant Thread would no longer fall on Pern. Then we could start building a new life for ourselves. We could join the Star dragons in exploring the galaxy. We could recolonize Pern with other races. Did the Skolrom and Aviani exist in our reality? Dana had said the Federation had not discovered them yet.

The Federated Sentient Planets! We could contact them. We could show them that not only did the colonists survive that we had after 2565 Turns defeated Thread! Then, perhaps, they would applaud Dana's quest to find survivors on Pern. Perhaps Keymon and Davar would come to live on Pern with their families, and perhaps they would Impress dragons. Could humans mate with Aquilans? Humans could definitely not with the Kendite, as they didn't look at all humanoid. The only human traits they had were the abilities to speak and stand upright. Everything else was pure feline. Humans could, however, mate with Skolrom and Aviani. G'narish was living proof of that. Our 24 children were doing wonderful. They had both human and Avianic traits. They were growing and maturing rapidly. Although they were still babies, they had already learned to talk intelligently. They had speech impediments — it was true — but the things they talked about were far from babyish. In the six months since the first clutch hatched, they had learned to read, write, and do math. Though their voices sounded babyish, their intelligence was that of a five-or-six-year-old. Their physical maturation seemed to take longer. They still had to be carried in my wings at all times. They would never learn to crawl according to Angelica, but they would learn to walk at about a year and fly six months later.

Now we were all responding to F'lars summons. Even the healer-riders at Robinton Cove were required to fight this Fall as it would be the last. The only dragonriders not required to fight were those too young, too old, or had dragons in Clutch, but those were very few. Even the Star dragonriders had offered to fight this final Fall, but F'lar had made the green riders use flamethrowers like the queen riders, as most of their dragons were hatched by greens. To give a green firestone — even once — would sterilize them for good. The only three queens who could chew firestone and still clutch were Tarnaa, Sylene, and Plinath. It was considered a mutation by the star dragonriders as Kitti Ping's programming had stipulated a gender discrimination.

This would be the first — and last — fall I would fight as a sighted person. I hadn't fought Thread since I moved to Robinton Cove. I hadn't fought Thread much when living at Honshu either because of G'narish's flashbacks. D'nag still had them, so he was not required to fight either, but Tiffany was there. She thought it would be good if she could show D'nag that she would be safe during the entire Fall. Since we weren't required to fly during Threadfall, we still carried our fledglings in our wings, because they could not be left alone. They were still going through the imprinting stage. It was not instantaneous like Impressing a dragon or fire-lizard or bonding with a watchwher. My wings were nowhere near as big as a dragon's wings, but I still had room for all 24 of my children. I held them close to my chest as I worked the nozzle of my flamethrower.

"I need you to be very quiet," I told them. "I need to concentrate on aiming my flame. The male dragons can do that themselves, but the queens can't chew firestone, so we have to use flamethrowers."

"Auntie Dana's queen chews firestone," said the ever inquisitive Robinton.

"I know, Robby," I said, "but Tarnaa, Sylene, and Plinath are very special queens. They can chew firestone and produce young like the fire-lizard queens."

"Dat's not fao!" said little Tiffany. "Goals can be like boys!"

"Yes they can," I responded, "but the dragons' creator didn't think so. She was very old-fashioned. Now please be quiet so I can concentrate."

_Don't worry, Elli,_ Chlorith thought to me. _Tiffany's having the same problem you are._

"I bet she is," I muttered aloud. "Too bad we can't leave them with a babysitter."

"What's a babysitter?" asked Ophelia.

"A babysitter is someone who takes care of the children while the parents are away," I told her in exasperation, narrowly missing a clump of Thread.

I hastily aimed my flamethrower as Chlorith dropped down so I could attack it.

"Weeeeeeeeeee!" the fledglings cried, actually chirping in excitement.

"Shh!" I told them yet again. "This is a very important Fall. It's the last Threadfall Pern will ever have. We need to be able to fight it."

"I want to see it!" Robby complained.

"You need to stay safe," I cautioned. "I can't let you out of my wings for a second! We need to bond anyway."

That shut him up, and I was able to fight the rest of the Fall in telepathic communion with Chlorith. I kept my eyes on the sky, flaming Thread, recording audio and video on my phone so I could post it to Facebook. It was the most thrilling experience of my life, and I was actually sad that I would never do it again. I hugged Chlorith with my legs as we landed. All around me, people were embracing each other and their dragons, laughing and weeping. It had been Ariana and Oriana's first Fall, but it was also their last. They both seemed disappointed that they'd missed out. I thought of all the young dragonriders who would not have been able to experience this moment. Thread would never ravage Pern again! F'lar and the other Dragonriders had seen to that. Piemur and Jancis had started the ball rolling when they had discovered AIVAS, and he had given the dragonriders the information they needed to rid Pern of the ravages of Thread. Even F'lar was crying. I saw the joy radiating off his tear-stained face. He embraced Lessa fiercely, sobbing unrestrainedly into her shoulder. It made me long for G'narish. When I spotted him, he was standing off by himself. I wondered what the matter was. I waddled toward him.

"What's the matter, Nar?" I asked softly.

He was also crying, but I could see that his tears were those of sorrow, not joy.

"I just wish I could share this with my children," he said.

"Five of them were fighting alongside us," I reminded him.

But then I saw him glancing at my wings.

"Oh," I said. "I don't see why they can't imprint on you too. According to Angelica, the Avianic fathers play a major role in their children's lives, but the mother has to carry them until they express the desire for freedom."

"But I want to imprint on them, too," G'narish sobbed. "I don't want to be left out of their lives. They don't even so much as look at me!"

"They're looking at you now," I comforted.

"Daddy!"

Suddenly, Robby took flight and jumped out of the wing cradle and into his father's arms.

"See?" I said. "They love you."

One by one, the fledglings from the first clutch jumped out of my wings and into G'narish's arms. The ones from the second clutch, who had only hatched last sevenday, stirred drowsily, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

"I think it's time to teach them how to walk," I said. "It's early for an Avianis, but these twelve are the most precocious children Angelica's ever seen."

"This is most definitely a new beginning," G'narish said, putting his children on the floor and letting them crawl around him.

"Aviani don't crawl," I said.

"That's a human trait that most babes learn at six months," G'narish reminded me.

"Raeana learned at 11 months," I told him.

"She was slow to develop," argued G'narish. "Most babies learn that at about six months."

"How old were Seska and Calentia when they learned to crawl?" I demanded.

"Six months, which is why I said what I said," G'narish replied.

"We're gonna have a lot of trouble on our hands," I said.

"Shh, F'lar's talking," G'narish pressed a finger to his lips.

"Today marks the ending of one era and the beginning of a new one. We will no longer be plagued by the Passes of the Red Star. Now we are free to do whatever we want with our lives. We can explore new worlds, as our dragons have proved that they can do interstellar travel. We can contact Dana's FSP and let them know we survived. Dana said there was something in the records about a few of the colonists being rescued after the last Threadfall of the first Pass. The Federation marked the Pern expedition as an epic failure, but we all know that that's not true! Let's let them know we're alive, we survived, and we'll continue to survive! We don't need spaceships to explore the stars; we have our dragons. We do, however, need spacesuits, so Hamian will have to keep producing those. We can spread out all over Pern. We can build houses like the Ancients had. We don't have to live in caves anymore! We can change our way of life," — There was some grumbling at that — "and we can thrive!"

"There will always be people living in the Holes!" someone shouted.

"There will always be dragonriders in the Weyrs!" someone else cried.

"We can become more technological!" F'lar continued. "Right now, I'm going to the Starworld to see what we can learn from them."

"I've been there many times already!" I shouted. "Ky's great! She'll teach us all we need to know."

"The technological advances Dana brought with her were really great!" shouted Darla. "If it weren't for her medical knowledge, my dragon and I would've died!"

"And what about social media?" shouted Tina.

I was surprised that she would jump into the conversation. She was always posting photos to Facebook, of Quath, her children, the scenery, always multiple-photo posts that I could now appreciate since I had gained sight. I vividly remembered always being annoyed when people posted photos on Facebook because Voiceover wouldn't describe them adequately enough.

"Social media puts the fire-lizards out of commission," someone else spoke.

"Either way, this Pass has wrought many changes, most of them for the good of all Pern," F'lar called over the hubbub. "Some people refused to implement these changes, but we dealt with them. Life on Pern has changed drastically in these past 43 Turns. We're grateful for these changes. Let us continue to move forward and update our society to fit FSP standards!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Dana shouted suddenly. "They're a bunch of bureaucrats who sweep bad stuff under the rug. If any of my people practiced quantum ergokinesis and found out what F-Lessa did, they wouldn't want to associate with the likes of us."

"I doubt anyone from your reality found anyone from hers," said Ky. "The odds of that happening are so infinitesimal that you can't even count them."

Dana breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where do we go from here?" she asked.

"First, we party hearty," I said. "Then we can discuss what we're gonna do. Christmas is in a sevenday, so we have a lot of decorating to do."

"Let's go back home and prepare then!" shouted F'lar.

He gave the signal of dismissal, and we all mounted our dragons and took off for home.

Chapter 2 – The Unexpected Sponsor (Dana's P.O.V.)

Was Pern ready to meet the rest of the galaxy? I had my reservations. Compared to many of the other representative worlds, we were technologically inferior; a decided disadvantage if any sort of conflict were to spring up. We had our dragons, true, but they alone would not be capable of resisting any sort of concerted invasion. We would need to call upon the more benevolent races of the FSP, like the Eridani, for support if it came to that. Secretly, I was hoping it wouldn't. I tried to give people the benefit of the doubt when dealing with them.

One idea Elli had floated was inviting new colonists to join us on Pern. She was leaning decidedly in the direction of my two FSP friends and their races… Davar of the Aquilans, and Keymon from planet Pun Ch'lar, the People's Heart, home world of the Kendites. True, they now knew where I could be found, but I wasn't sure either one was ready to become a colonist.

_Why don't you go visit them?_ Tarnaa suggested.

_That's a long jump between, my heart,_ I responded.

_Ruth and the others did it,_ she reminded me, _when they brought Elli and the others from 21__st__ Century Earth to Pern._

_In that reality, yes,_ I had to admit.

_So, can we do it or not?_

I had to admit, it was tempting.

_Let me think about it,_ I said, getting back to business. _If we're going to start receiving new visitors on Pern, much less any new colonists, we need to set up facilities and protocols to screen them for any potential illnesses that could be detrimental to Pern. We don't need a pandemic in our zeal to welcome new arrivals._

So, I sent out word to the Harper Hall that we needed a meeting of the Lords Holder and the Weyrleaders and Weyrwomen from all across Pern to discuss how we would proceed. I suggested Landing as the meeting place.

"Why there?" Sebell wondered.

"We can make use of the existing housing the Ancients left behind," I replied. "It's also conveniently near AIVAS who can act as our information dissemination agent."

"Those old facilities are going to need some serious refurbishments," Sebell sighed, though warming to the idea.

"A perfect task for our resourceful and dedicated Mastersmith Fandarel," I said, chuckling. "He loves a good challenge."

"You have a point!" Sebell chuckled.

"I want to use the Yokohama as the gateway," I went on.

"Gateway?" Sebell wondered, not certain of the meaning.

"The three colony ships are all equipped to dock with other spacecraft," I explained. "The Yokohama, being directly over Landing, can serve as the arrival point for new vessels visiting Pern. Up here, we can screen arriving visitors, checking for any potential diseases they may be carrying."

"Ah, good point," Sebell agreed. "Last thing we need is some sort of contagion brought in by visitors sweeping across Pern and decimating the population."

"The Yokohama can serve as the quarantine site," I explained. "With the medical facilities aboard, we can treat any potential contagion before our visitors descend to Pern's surface."

"What about those friends of yours, Dana?" Sebell wondered. "They were on-planet for a substantial amount of time during the Exiles crisis. Any chance they were carrying something we might've been susceptible to?"

I shook my head. "FSP and Star Service regulations and procedures would've mandated nanite infusion." When Sebell shook his head, I added, "Essentially, they are microscopic machines about the size of human blood cells that are injected into a person's bloodstream. They are preprogrammed to seek out and destroy contagions the nanite recipient might be exposed to. It serves a dual function. It prevents the agent from coming down with diseases they might be exposed to on alien worlds, and it also prevents the agent from spreading any illnesses to those alien worlds."

"Would AIVAS have information on how to make these… nanites?" Sebell asked, struggling with the unfamiliar word.

"Most likely," I replied. "However, Pern doesn't, as yet, have the industrial and technological capacity to manufacture them. For now, we might have to import the nanites, assuming we can find something the bargaining parties would be willing to trade for it."

"Sounds like we have a lot to go over," Sebell chuckled, nodding to me through the viewscreen. "I'll get right on it, Dana. I'll call you as soon as I have the meeting set up."

"Thanks, Masterharper," I said, nodding to him. "I appreciate it! Good luck!"

With that, Sebell signed off.

And speaking of that, I had another threat to Pern to check on. As the days leading up to this final Fall were approaching, I made use of the Yokohama and some of its onboard hardware to check on the status of the zebedees F'lar and the others had sewn into the debris trail of the Red Star.

One of the unique devices onboard was an old model sensor drone, capable of FTL travel and able to seed FTL sensor buoys in its wake. After first making sure it was still functional after being in storage for so long, a sevenday ago I had fired the drone on a retro trajectory back along the Red Star's orbital path, programmed to dispense sensor buoys at specified intervals on its journey. The sensor buoys expanded the Yokohama's scanning range, allowing me to conduct scans of the debris trail all the way back to the Oort Cloud.

A sevenday had now passed, and, from initial close-range sensor scans from the Yokohama, there were no Thread spores in the immediate vicinity, a radius of approximately 45 million miles. While everyone else on Pern was celebrating the long anticipated end to Threadfall, I wanted to be absolutely certain the threat was gone forever. That's why I had fired the drone on a trajectory back along the Red Star's orbital path. I wanted to be certain the zebedees had done their job of eliminating the spores that were still in space.

As the scanning console came to life, I noticed that several of the sensor buoys had malfunctioned; no doubt due to their pronounced age. Still, I had allowed for significant overlap of the scanning fields, and, in spite of the probe failures, I had scan results all the way back to and within the Oort Cloud.

_Good news?_ Tarnaa asked from the Yoko's docking bay.

_The best ever, my heart,_ I replied, barely able to contain my excitement.

Turning to the comm unit next to me, I punched up the vidcomm link back to Landing. Journeyman Piemur's face came up on the screen.

"Hey, Dana! What's up?" he asked, grinning in his usual fashion, Farli chittering excitedly from his shoulder.

"Just completed a long-range scan of the Red Star's debris trail," I reported, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"You're serious?!" he gasped, drawing the obvious conclusion.

Vigorously, I nodded. "Spread the word! The zebedees have cleared the debris trail and Oort Cloud of every single spore they could find! Pern is now forever free from the menace of Threadfall!"

"By the First Egg, Dana!" Piemur exclaimed, Farli squawking in protest as her human companion pounded the table with his fist in his excitement. "That is interstellar news! I'll get the word out right away! Landing out!"

The screen went dark.

Powering down the sensor equipment, I made my way back down to the Landing Bay where Tarnaa and Goldie were enjoying the zero-g environment.

"We're going?" Tarnaa asked as I donned my space suit.

"Yes, my heart," I replied, giving her neck an affectionate pat. "I think I know where we can start."

"Goldie, I need you to keep an eye on the girls, alright?" I asked, giving her eye ridge a scratch. "Look after Zeeu and Mia for me."

Grudgingly, Goldie agreed, but it was clear she hated being left behind.

"I want to be certain it's safe where we're going, Goldie," I told her, hugging her tiny head to mine. "And I don't know if you can make such a long jump yet. Do this for me, okay?"

Silently, her eyes a slowly whirling orange, Goldie nodded.

Mounting Tarnaa, I buckled myself into her harness, donned my helmet, and silently asked, _Can you see where we need to go, Tarnaa?_

_It is a beautiful place,_ she responded. _The image is very clear._

_Is it too far away?_

_Let's find out._

And with that thought, Tarnaa and I vanished _between_.

Ruth and his team had made the jump all the way back to Earth in the late 21st century when they brought Elli and her family forward in time and across that vast sea of space to Pern. Our jump should be relatively shorter, but not by much. Still, I had to wonder how the inhabitants of the world that was our destination would react to the sight of us.

Nearly ten minutes into the journey, we emerged from _between_ directly over a magnificent cliff face, an enormous valley spread out below. I was back, but to my surprise, Tarnaa and I were not the only ones there! Beings on the ground near the cliff's edge spotted us, pointing excitedly, dashing around as Tarnaa and I circled to land. Once on the ground, I dismounted, removed my helmet, and slowly made my way over to the group of beings a short distance away. Several of the larger ones brandished weapons, very much like my own blaster. A few shouted commands, aiming their weapons at me until one voice rose above the others, commanding, "Fela zon pakar!" (Do not shoot!)

The leader of the group stepped out in front of the others, her manner commanding; important. I stopped a few paces away from them, sinking to one knee as I responded, "Zucanno om lis malu, fa hat meloosa." (Mother of us all, I have returned.)

The beings all gasped, astonished that I was addressing them in their native tongue. All but one, who knew who I was.

"Your Kenditese is very good," the leader responded in Galactic Standard. "Rise, child, so that I can give you a hug!"

Grinning broadly, I stood, enveloping the Kendite Matriarch in a gentle hug. Then, remembering myself, I released her, stepping back a bit.

"You know who I am, then?" I asked, grinning all the while.

"You and the people of Pern are all the buzz in the FSP," the Matriarch chuckled. "Fools that they are, thinking your kind would fall to that parasitic threat…"

"Thread," I responded, nodding. "We owe our thanks for our survival to Kitt Ping who bioengineered our dragons."

"So your brother tells us," the Matriarch said, grinning. "Keymon!"

He appeared through the crowd, stopping, staring at the sight of me and Tarnaa… before he sprinted up to us, wrapping me up in a breathtaking bear hug!

"Dana!" he wept, his hug never letting up. "By the Fire Falls of Firlea, I can't believe it's you!" Pulling back, he asked, "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

And, then, he remembered Tarnaa, his jaw nearly hitting the ground. "Between?!"

"A bit of a jump," I chuckled, giving him one final hug before letting him go, "but, yes."

"Between?" the Matriarch wondered, then smiled as she recalled. "Ah, the teleportational ability the Wolfhound crew reported. Where is this world Pern?"

"The third planet orbiting the star alpha Sagittarius," Keymon relayed. "A bit of a jump is right, ch'hin. But why have you come here?"

"Because our people are considering restarting communication with the FSP," I explained, "though I'm somewhat reluctant to do so."

"Your caution does you credit, ch'lia," the Matriarch said, her expression concerned.

I couldn't stop the blush that came to my cheeks hearing that word… the Kendite word for daughter.

"You honor me greatly, Mother of us all," I quietly spoke, averting my gaze.

"And it is honor well-earned, my child," the Matriarch told me. "Key and Dav briefed me personally about the Exiles Crisis and what you did to save your people and your world."

"Matriarch, would your people be willing to serve as our sponsor?" I asked her. "We could establish diplomatic relations with the Kendite people, passing our communications with the FSP through your government…"

"Using us to serve as a buffer between your world and them," the Matriarch concluded.

"As pastoral as our world is, Matriarch," I sighed, "I don't think they are quite ready for such a cultural shock sudden inclusion into the FSP would cause."

Smiling, the Matriarch turned to Keymon, saying, "Your ch'hin is as wise as you said, Key."

"It is the main reason she was such a good team leader while she was in the Star Service, Mother of us all," he replied, grinning proudly.

And, then, Keymon gasped, eyes threatening to bug from his head.

"By the Fire Falls of Firlea!" he hissed, coming up to me, peering intently at me… or more precisely, at the side of my neck.

"What's wrong?" I asked, more than a little concerned.

"Mother…" Key whispered, waving the Matriarch over.

One glance and, she, too, gasped, eyes threatening to pop from their sockets. "Can this truly be?!"

"What's going on?" I nervously asked, my gaze flicking from one astonished face to another. "What is it?"

"This sigil," the Matriarch whispered, lightly tracing the side of my neck, "it is the mark of the Eridani!"

"It is only bestowed on those who have been shown and taught the biogenetic engineering protocols they are known across the galaxy for!" Key stammered. "You?!"

"Concordantrix Zigrill," I acknowledged. "Do you remember her?"

"The psionics screening board!" Key gasped, recalling. "She was your mentor?!"

I nodded.

"How? When? Why?" Key stammered, clearly disbelieving.

"Because Zigrill sensed that Dana would develop an extraordinary sensitivity to our kind," Tarnaa responded, earning startled gasps from everyone present.

"She can talk?!" Key exclaimed, backing up a step.

"Turns out Kitt Ping had designed the ability into her dragons," I chuckled, patting Tarnaa on the neck, "but never got to complete that part of the bioengineering."

"She passed away during that initial onset of Threadfall," Tarnaa explained. Nuzzling me, she added, "Dana was able to complete the process, thanks to the Eridani protocols Concordantrix Zigrill passed along to her."

"An extraordinary inheritance, ch'lia," the Matriarch commented, gently placing her furry paw on my tearful cheek. "Very well. I agree."

"Matriarch?" I whispered.

"The Kendite will indeed serve as Pern's sponsor," she said, nodding and smiling.

"Matriarch, I…"

"You saved my life that day, ch'lia," she quietly spoke, touching her forehead to my own. "You may not have been born Kendite, my child, but you have the heart and courage of one. We would be honored to be your sponsors."

"It may take some time, Matriarch," Keymon said to her. "The people of Pern have been living in isolation from the rest of the galaxy. Their reaction to me and Dav that day we first found Dana spoke to their fear of beings other than themselves."

"I know there will be some resistance to this," I added, nodding to Key, "but I think it will best serve the people of Pern before they plunge headlong into the FSP."

"Agreed, ch'lia," the Matriarch responded. Then, turning to my dragon, she commented, "Magnificent creatures. Sentient, too?"

"Yes, Matriarch," Tarnaa said. "We were initially created as a natural, renewable resource to combat the scourge of Thread. When we hatch, we bond with a human partner, a bond that lasts an entire lifetime."

"And you have no problem with humans riding around on you?" the Matriarch wondered.

"We choose our riders carefully, Matriarch," Tarnaa assured her. Then, extending her foreleg, she asked, "Care to see what it's like?"

Wide-eyed with astonishment, the Matriarch turned to me, and I nodded. A bit hesitant, she climbed aboard Tarnaa, settling into the perfect position on Tarnaa's neck ridge.

"You might want to use this," I quietly spoke, slipping a spare riding belt around the Matriarch's waist and fastening her securely into Tarnaa's riding harness.

Sliding back down to the ground, I patted my dragon on the side, adding, "Go easy on her, lifemate."

"She is Zucanno om lis malu," Tarnaa replied, seeming to grin as she opened her wings, "Mother of us all. I'll be careful."

With a couple of running strides to get started, Tarnaa leapt off the cliff, dropping down briefly before rising steadily higher and higher into the Pun Ch'lar skies. She circled briefly, making several passes over the crowd, the Matriarch waving enthusiastically at her people below. Seeing the joy and exhilaration on her face filled me with the hope that this sponsorship would be a good start for Pern and its people.

Chapter 3 - With Reckless Abandon (Elli's P.O.V.)

Emboldened by Dana's success with the Kendite, I went about trying to decide where to go first. I had so many plans: I could go back to Earth and get the rest of my family to colonize Pern, I could go to Leeaajhu and invite the remaining Skolrom to escape from the Siloe if they were still at war, or I could go to Tennin for some of my new brethren. So many ideas, so many plans! What to do, what to do, what to do? Mom was dying, and she kept expressing a desire to see her sisters again, but I knew she'd never go _between_ in her state. I had to get her sisters back here, but there weren't enough dragons willing to make the jump. Mini Ramoth said she'd go, but Angelica flatly refused to let Empyrea go so far away. What if something happened? We'd been _between_ 20 minutes on the jump from Earth to Pern. Of course she'd have a spacesuit, but what would that do to her feathers?

"I wear clothes over my feathers all the time with no bad effects," I protested.

"But you were born human," argued Angelica. "She wasn't."

Ruth finally said he'd go, but Jaxom had been involved with several court cases and Gather preparations, so I'd have to wait. Big Ramoth was in clutch, (probably for the last time), so she couldn't go. Mnementh would never part from Ramoth when she was in clutch, so he wouldn't go either. We needed more than two dragons and spacesuits to deal with the influx of people I wanted to bring.

I would go for my family first, then I'd try to find where the Skolrom lived, and then I'd go for Tennin, and let the Aviani calm down. That war had just ended the day before Mini Ramoth had spotted Toutatis on a collision course with their Pern. The war had lasted over four Turns, and the Aviani had been no match for the Pernese weapons. The Pernese would have won and massacred them all if not for Shandra's betrayal. She had found enough riders who were only fighting because F-Lessa had ordered them to, and they all banded together and joined the Aviani. Some of the riders had been under the influence of psychotropics, but Shandra had been able to root them out and convince them to join her instead of F-Lessa. There were many Aviani in need of psychological help, I knew, and I wanted to give them that help.

Shandra finally offered to go with me, and so did Tiffany, but the latter was afraid of what her family would think of her transformation.

"We'll explain it, twin," I said. "I transformed, too. I have to explain it to Daddy and Mum. There's no way in Hell I'd leave them behind if I'm going for my aunts and uncles. I asked them to come originally, but they refused. I deliberately did not tell them about Threadfall because I was sure that would cause them not to want to go, but they already had so many obligations they had to keep and blah de blah de blah, so I didn't press the point. I truly blossomed without them though, but I miss them, and I want to show them how I've blossomed. I want them to see Chlorith."

"I never got to see most of my family," Tiff confessed. "I was always too sick to go see them. I wonder how Vera will take the trip _between_. She's a preemie."

"As are you," I countered.

"I'm a lot older than Vera," Tiffany chuckled. "She'll need that cleft pallet fixed."

"Dana can do that. She's competent enough to repair anything. She can also use her Eridani protocols to heal Vera. You know how she is with kids." My soft chuckle turned into a hearty laugh. "With Ruth there to guide our dragons, where can we go wrong? Let's go!"

For once, I was not in clutch, because G'narish had thrown his back out in the final Fall, so he couldn't perform in bed for a while. I held my 24 fledglings in my wings, apprehensive, as Tiffany was, about how my family would take it. G'narish was healthy enough to ride a dragon, though, as it only consisted of him sitting still on Gyarmath's back, so he came with me so I could find my family. I had no images of what Earth was supposed to look like, but G'narish remembered it vividly. He had had feelings for me even then, but he quelled them until Nadira's death. Then he gave himself a Turn's time to grieve properly for her, as he had loved her deeply, but differently than the way he loved me.

The last time I remembered was back in August of 2019, but snow had been falling in the Northern continent, and it was that snow that Chlorith perceived as we made the 20-minute jump _between_. Chlorith could, and did, hold her breath for 20 minutes as we made the jump. My spacesuit supplied the oxygen I needed, but I worried constantly about my fledglings. I couldn't leave them at such a young age, not even to eat or go to the bathroom. I always had to take them with me wherever I went. What would Daddy and Mum think? What would my aunts and uncles think? Most of them were close-minded about everything. More like narrow-minded. They never had much scope for imagination or intellect. They were hard workers but not hard thinkers. We landed right in front of my old house. It was empty now of course. No one had bought it after we moved out.

_Shame_, I thought.

_It was a very nice house,_ Chlorith grumbled.

"I'll take Tiffany and Rollith and D'nag to Saint Louis and Illinois while you stay with Elli in Wisconsin," said Jaxom.

"My daddy and Mum would be in Texas this time of the year," I said. "The rest of my family is in Wisconsin. I have an aunt and uncle and a cousin in Florida, but I've never been there before so I don't know what it looks like."

"Port Aransas?" Chlorith asked aloud.

I nodded. Suddenly, we were on a beach with the sound of waves filling my ears. I could see a complex of condominiums about a mile away. I directed Chlorith to them and we jumped _between_ again. I knew Mum and Daddy lived in unit 12, so I looked for that number. I took a deep breath, went to the door, and knocked. At first, no one answered, and I feared they might not be home. Then the door opened, and for the first time ever, I saw my stepmother's face. She was a handsome woman with green eyes. She was a bit taller than me, and she looked confused.

"Mum, it's me," I said. "I had a little accident involving a robot and a dragon, but it's still me."

"Elli?" I could tell she was shaken up. "Gare!"

Daddy came running from his office. "Marie, what's wrong?"

Then he saw me with my feathers, wings, and fledglings, and his eyes just about popped out of their sockets.

"What happened to you?"

I told them the entire story of how I landed on Pern, Impressed Chlorith, discovered dragons could teleport between parallel universes as well as place and time, and all the adventures I'd had since then.

"So, you fought this Thread stuff?" Mum asked incredulously.

"Yes, until I became a healer-rider at Robinton Cove," I said.

"And you inherited psychic powers from aliens?"

"Yes," I replied, nodding.

"I wouldn't have believed it except that you're looking right at me, and you have wings, feathers, and tiny children clinging to you. How did that happen?'

I explained again about the P.U.M.A. F-Lessa had left with Avianic DNA planted in place of the chemical she thought she'd put in it.

"In essence, Shandra saved my life. The chemical F-Lessa thought was in the P.U.M.A. would've vaporized me."

"Are you still on meds for your depression?"

I wondered why Mum had changed the subject.

"No. They didn't have the chemicals to make up the meds when I first landed, so I had to go without. Then I Impressed Chlorith, and I didn't need them anymore."

"You even look younger than you were when you left," Mum remarked.

"Aviani age slower than humans. They can live for up to two centuries, perhaps even three. They're telepathic, empathic, and have the ability to heal, but the healing comes from their feathers, in particular their wing feathers. I don't think I'm a true Avianis; I'm probably a hybrid."

"I don't think I like the transformation you made," Mum said judgmentally. "I love the sight restoration but not the feathers."

"That wasn't my fault!" I protested.

"You're making excuses for why you got in the path of that robot!"

"It wasn't her fault," Chlorith put in from the doorway. She was so big, she couldn't fit through the door, but they had left it open. "The robot sprayed a chemical that caused a little dragonet to go crazy, and he trampled her while the P.U.M.A. attacked him. There was a lot of blood on both sides of the attack, so Elli also got dragon DNA mixed in with her human and Avianic DNA."

"How is that thing talking to me?" Mum demanded.

"We implemented the speech programming just recently," Chlorith explained. "Our creator never had time to add it in, as she passed away before she could finish up the Eridani protocols."

"What are Eridani protocols?" Daddy asked.

I did my best to explain them.

"Dana's a lot smarter," I told them. "She'd be able to explain everything a lot better than I can. She grew up in the Federated Sentient Planets. She was a pilot for them in their Star Service division. She was a first contactor. I wish I had brought her along, but she's busy with the Kendite, so I didn't bring her."

"Kendite?" Daddy asked.

Mum was rendered temporarily speechless by Chlorith's intelligence.

"Sentient felines that can stand upright," I explained. "They're very gentle, and even more cuddly! If you need comfort, go to a Kendite. They won't lick you, but they'll snuggle and cuddle with you until you feel better. The Skolrom are even better, as they're furry and have healing powers. Kendite can't heal you unless they've come in contact with a Kolrom, but the Skolrom are born with the gift. They have all the esper talents, except prescience. My daughters Ariana and Oriana have precognition though. Ori's hasn't shown up yet, but Ari's definitely has. She's predicted the most outlandish things, and yet they've all come true. You should see them. They're 16 and have dragons of their own. Raeana's 33 and she has children of her own. She also has a dragon."

As if on cue, Ari, Ori, and Raeana all landed in front of us.

"I want to take a swim in the pool," Chlorith said.

"That pool is too small for the four of you," I smiled. "Plus, there's chlorine in the water. I don't know how the dragons will react to that. It's better to swim in fresh water. Or salt water, but not with chlorine in it."

"Chlorine kills bacteria," Chlorith argued. "Therefore, it should be safe for us."

"We don't know if your chemical makeup is compatible with chlorine," I countered. "No, Chlorith, you cannot swim in the pool. After I've convinced my parents to come and live on Pern, we can swim in the gulf. No dolphins though. These dolphins haven't yet been treated with Mentasynth because it wasn't invented or discovered in this time. We're a pretty backward society. We haven't even discovered interstellar travel yet."

"But you have technology that we definitely don't have," said Mum, wrapping me up in a gentle hug. "You really did well for yourself, Elli. I'm really proud of you."

Her hug meant more to me right then than any other hug she had given me. My eyes filled with tears.

"Will you come?" I pleaded. "I know you have obligations here, but wouldn't life on a different planet in a future time rival all that?"

"We know the difference between real and pretend, Elli," Mum scoffed. "We know when to be real and when it's okay to pretend. Adults do not pretend."

"Look at me!" I cried, wondering why she was suddenly so contradictory. "Look at my eyes, my wings, my feathers. Do you think I'm pretending, that I have somehow dressed up in a bird costume and come to visit you riding some sort of a horse?"

Chlorith grumbled angrily.

"I am not a horse!" she cried indignantly.

"You're looking at reality right now. As far-fetched as it seems, this is real! Look at Chlorith. Does she look like pretend to you?"

I knew Mum and Daddy were having a hard time getting their heads around the fact that this was real. Mum finally sighed.

"Who are these people with you?"

"This is G'narish, my weyrmate. My dragon mated with his dragon, and because we're telepathically linked to our dragons, that basically meant that we became mates as well. This is Raeana, and these are my twin girls, Ariana and Oriana."

I pointed them out.

"Do you have any more children?" asked Mum.

"They're all too young to ride dragonback yet, but since I received the Avianic DNA, I've been clutching 12 children every 2 months or so, unless G'narish isn't up to having sex or something."

"Lemme see your wings," said Daddy.

I unfurled them as much as I could without dropping my children and lifted them up for him to see.

"Ooh, they're so tiny!" Mum cried as she got her first look at the fledglings. "How many are there?"

"24," I said proudly. "I clutch 12 eggs at a time. The Aviani lay eggs like birds. The Aviani eat those eggs that weren't fertilized for breakfast. If I have a rotten egg, we do not eat it. It is buried in a sacred place. Miscarriage is very devastating to an Avianic mother. She may clutch over 100 children in her lifetime, but she values and loves every single one of them as individuals. Angelica started young. She only had two pregnancies so far, but those were forced and unplanned. Now she has 24 children, but they're all nine and five. They mature rapidly in mind, but not in body or emotions. Curiosity is known to get the better of any Avianic child. My first clutch, Meaghan, Austin, Ophelia, Ashton, Charlotte, Justin, Olivia, Preston, Tiffany, Quentin, Dana, and Robinton, can all crawl around on the ground, but I wouldn't advise that here. The second clutch, Isis, Xavier, Kiara, Conrad, Arya, Reid, Rachael, Dillon, Vivian, Adrien, Vestara, and Louis, only hatched last week, so they do nothing but eat and sleep. Their intelligence is showing itself quite noticeably though."

"I want to see all that!" Mum cried. "We'll come, if only for a visit. I don't know if we'll stay, but we'll come visit you".

"Bring the rest of the family!" I cried. "The Southern Continent is large enough for all of you!"

When they were all assembled, I retold my story, pausing to answer questions hurled at me. People weren't all that willing to drop their lives and come and live on a backward planet, but my adventures and the way I handled them impressed them. Now I had thought a blind person could rise up so high in a backward society. They all decided to give up their earthly lives and come live on Pern, provided that we had social media.

"Of course we do!" I cried excitedly. "I helped design the websites so they look exactly like they did on Earth. Tiffany's dad and brother are IT geeks. They knew how to do it. They have a computer hall set up and they're teaching the citizens of Pern how to work computers and design websites. So far, we've copied Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Foursquare. I don't know how to work Instagram and Foursquare, but I post on Facebook every single day just as I did back on Earth. Sometimes I post in Chlorith's point of view just like most pet owners do. She's not a pet though. She's my life."

When I went back for my mother's side of the family, they were less receptive than my stepmother's side, but they finally decided to come because we were there. I hadn't had much to do with that side of the family, but they all seemed to like me that day. When they heard that twenty-two years had passed since I had initially left, they were flabbergasted. They said I looked younger than I had before I left Earth. I knew none of them had the mindset to understand time travel, much less quantum ergokinesis. But they all decided to come as well. Then it was off to Florida for Aunt Greta, Uncle Steve, and my step cousin Kristie and her family. Kristie's family came willingly, but Uncle Steve was in a bad state, recovering from spinal compression surgery, which caused a whole bunch of relapses. I set all my fledglings down, enfolded Steve in my wings, and healed him completely.

"Now will you come?" I pleaded.

Aunt Greta and Uncle Steve both nodded. I suited them up and took them _between_ to Landing. I met Tiffany there. She was all smiles and bubbling with laughter. She had managed to inveigle her entire family, even her 92-year-old grandma, who thought Tiffany was extra baggage to tote around, to come to Pern. She took her premature cousin Vera into her arms and healed her with her feathery wings. Vera's mother Katrina was overwhelmed with joy. Jaxom, Ruth, D'nag, and Claranth all helped her to bring her family back with her to Pern. I hadn't seen her so happy since she Impressed Rollith. Everyone 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over her dragon. The little ones were afraid of her, but Tiffany showed them how gentle she was, and soon, they ventured to stroke her muzzle or scratch an eye ridge. Chlorith summoned the Weyrleaders and Weyrwomen, and they in turn summoned the Masterharper, and we arranged a gather at Landing to welcome our new colonists to Pern.

Chapter 4 – The Three Ambassadors (Dana's P.O.V.)

"Nothing happens by accident."

I recalled having said that back during the Admiral Benden temporal rift incident. Now those words were back to haunt me again.

I had chosen that particular cliff for the jump _between_ because it was the same place Dav, Key, and I had been for the Matriarch's wedding those many years ago; easily recallable because it was the same place I had saved the Matriarch from that Kendite assassin. As it turned out, the day Tarnaa and I appeared above the cliff, the Matriarch and her followers had gathered there to celebrate her wedding anniversary! When I found out, I blushed a thoroughly mortified crimson in embarrassment.

"By the Fire Falls of Firlea!" I exclaimed, apologizing profusely for the interruption. "How could I have forgotten? Zucanno Om Lis Malu, please forgive me, I beg you!"

The Mother Of Us All was graciously understanding, putting me and Tarnaa immediately at ease. Tarnaa and I spent a few days on Pun Ch'lar celebrating the Matriarch's wedding anniversary and laying the groundwork for the opening of diplomatic relations between the Kendite people and the citizens of Pern.

When Tarnaa and I returned to Landing, we were a bit surprised by the sudden increase in population living there, consisting primarily of Elli's and Tiffany's extended family members!

"Well, you certainly didn't waste any time!" I chuckled when I caught up with Elli and her fledglings.

"Master Fandarel and his people have been busting ass refurbishing the Ancients' Quonset huts," Elli replied, glancing about at all the hustle and bustle.

"Have the healer-riders from Robinton Cove been here yet?" I asked.

Elli nodded. "Everyone's been given a clean bill of health. I'm so relieved!"

"We should keep the new arrivals here at Landing for a couple of months," I said, nodding as Elli's Mum waved from a nearby window. "They haven't any immunities yet to the Pernese sicknesses…"

"Like fire-head," Elli suddenly recalled, drawing her fledglings closer.

I nodded. "We can keep an eye on them here and have the healer-riders from Robinton Cove make sevenday visits to see how they're doing. If they can get through that phase without coming down with something, they should be fine to relocate if they want."

"And the Kendites?" Elli wondered.

"I spoke with the Matriarch personally," I replied, grinning. "She's sending her best architects and builders here to erect the first Kendite Embassy building here at Landing."

"And your brother, Key?" Elli asked.

"I found out he's retired from the Star Service!" I chuckled, giving Elli's shoulder a squeeze. "He volunteered to head up the construction team coming here to Pern. He and his mate, Sheena, should be arriving via starship in a couple of sevendays to oversee the project."

"Why didn't you just jump them _between_?" Elli inquired. "Wouldn't that have been quicker?"

"It would," I laughed, "but poor Tarnaa, strong as she is, wouldn't have been able to bring all the construction equipment and personnel we will need to build the embassy. That's why they're coming via starship!"

"It will be good to see them again," Tarnaa injected, trundling over.

Yes, it would, I realized. In spite of our completely different physiologies and upbringings, Key was as much my brother as any of my siblings; bonds forged over the years we three… Key, Dav, and I… had worked as first contactors. I was looking forward to the reunion… and getting a chance to get to know his chosen mate, Sheena.

"I better check in with Masterharper Sebell," I said, heading off to the AIVAS building, "and see how the meeting preparations are going."

With a great sense of relief, I filled in the Lords Holder, the Weyrleaders and Weyrwomen, and the Masterharper about my discussions with the Kendite Matriarch as well as her agreement for their government to serve as Pern's sponsor in order to soften the transition with the FSP. As it turned out, the final meeting to approve the arrangement with the Kendite people was scheduled to occur on the exact same day the Kendite starship was due to arrive to begin construction on the new embassy. And that made me nervous.

"Why?" Elli wondered when I mentioned my fears to her.

"It's not a done deal yet," I sighed, wringing my hands nervously. "They could still vote to go their own way with the FSP…"

"Which would be stupid," Chlorith remarked, having overheard. "I spoke with Tarnaa. These Kendites sound like very honorable beings. They were suspicious of the FSP until you saved the Matriarch's life, Dana. And given what I've read about the history of the FSP, we should proceed with caution dealing with them."

"I agree," Lessa chimed in, joining us. "Admiral Benden and the other colonists fled Earth for a reason. Having the Kendites serve as our buffer with them is a smart move."

"I just hope everyone else feels the same way," I sighed, glancing skyward.

On the appointed day, the Kendite starship, Firlea's Fury, arrived. Several shuttles descended from orbit, bringing the supplies to begin the construction of the embassy. I couldn't stop the grin that came to my face as Keymon emerged from one of the shuttles, but my jaw hit the ground when he turned and escorted the Matriarch herself onto the surface of Pern!

"Zucanno Om Lis Malu," I spoke, once more sinking to one knee before her, "we are honored by your presence!"

"Rise, child," the Matriarch replied, helping me to stand. "I wanted to be here personally to hear what your people decide."

"Have they come to a decision yet, ch'hin?" Key asked, coming up beside the Matriarch.

"They are still in private conference within," I replied, gesturing to the restored Landing Admin building, one of the few structures at Landing capable of housing so many dignitaries.

Turning to the Matriarch, I said, "Perhaps while we wait, an introduction to the history of Pern would be in order."

"I wish to learn more about what happened when the colonists first arrived, ch'lia," the Matriarch responded. "And what happened when Thread first began to fall on Pern. Your ch'har tried to describe the videos he saw…"

"And nearly lost my lunch in the telling," Key groaned, still bothered by the recollection.

"AIVAS will have all the information you require," I said, turning to the Matriarch. "Perhaps we should start with the survey team's report and how Pern was cleared for colonization."

Leading the way, I took the Matriarch and her party into the AIVAS building where we could go over the pertinent information. Key handled the Thread videos a bit better this time, but his mate, Sheena, needed considerable comforting and care once the information session was over.

"So, due to limited fuel and staff," the Matriarch mused, her brows furrowed with concern, "the survey team's report was cursory, at best."

"And due to planetary perturbations of the Red Star," I added, handing a glass of water to Sheena for her to drink, "the survey team passed through here during one of the long intervals, a period when Thread didn't fall on Pern."

"And because they were unaware of the extraterrestrial threat the Thread spores posed," Key finished, helping his mate to sip the water, "the planet was cleared for colonization."

"Leaving Admiral Benden and the other colonists totally unprepared for what would fall from the skies," the Matriarch muttered, shaking her head. "I've heard many stories about the good Admiral. I see they were not exaggerated."

Turning to me, she added, "It is a proud testament to them that you and the other residents of Pern have survived all this time, ch'lia. A truly monumental feat, relearning all that lost technology and using it to put an end to the threat of Thread forever."

"Latest sensor readings, Matriarch, show that the zebedees used to destroy the Thread spores have swept the parasite from this entire star system," I was proud to report, "including their source in this star system's Oort Cloud. Pern is finally free of the scourge of Thread!"

"What will you and the other dragonriders do now that you are no longer required to battle Thread?" asked the Matriarch.

"If you ask the dragonriders," I chuckled, "you will get as many answers as the people you speak to. The healer-riders at Robinton Cove will continue to serve Pern, providing near-instantaneous healing services across the planet. Others have expressed an interest in exploring space…"

"Using the dragon's teleportational ability to move about," the Matriarch concluded, "just like you and Tarnaa used coming to Pun Ch'lar."

I nodded. "It is the reason I sought you out, Zucanno Om Lis Malu, because I feared they would not be ready for the sudden culture shock exposure to the FSP would bring. We have already dealt with several episodes where some citizens of Pern wanted to keep the old ways, to turn back to what they called the pure path."

"The Abominators," Elli growled as she approached, carrying her fledglings with her. "They're afraid of change."

"Change can be a frightening thing, child," the Matriarch commented, pausing as she took in Elli's appearance. "You do not look like the others. What world are you from?"

"Originally from 21st century Earth," Elli replied, bowing as best she could. "Recent events have brought about my metamorphosis into the being you see now."

"These Abominators you mentioned?" the Matriarch wondered.

Elli shook her head. Hesitating, she added, "It would be a difficult thing to explain."

The Matriarch nodded, chuckling as she did. "Perhaps when we have more time, then, child."

"Dana!"

Turning at the sound of my name, I spotted the large group involved in the closed door conference emerging from the Admin Building, Masterharper Sebell leading the way.

"Have you reached a decision?" I asked as the attendees all crowded around us.

Sebell nodded. "This is her?"

"May I present F'chala De'Nemon," I responded, gesturing to our visitor. "Matriarch of the Kendites of planet Pun Ch'lar."

"Zucanno Om Lis Malu, lo mokaiy nu," Sebell spoke, bowing deeply. (Mother Of Us All, we welcome you.) Then, grinning sheepishly, he added, "I hope I pronounced that correctly."

The Matriarch nodded. "I take it Dana was the one who taught you our language?"

When Sebell nodded, she smiled.

"She introduced us to your language through a song her brother, Keymon, taught to her," Menolly spoke up, joining her husband. "You must take the time to listen to it, sung to the accompaniment of our fire lizards and dragons! It takes on an almost dream-like quality!"

"She sang it for Dav and I during our previous visit, Zucanno Om Lis Malu," Keymon sighed, grinning broadly. "This human is not exaggerating the song's power!"

"Then, I shall most certainly make time to hear it, but later!" the Matriarch replied, nodding. "Right now, we have more serious matters to focus on."

Turning to Sebell and the others, she asked, "You have reached a decision, then?"

"We have, Matriarch De'Nemon," F'lar spoke, stepping to the front of the group.

"And?" she prodded.

"It was a unanimous decision, Matriarch," Lord Groghe said as he joined F'lar.

"Our efforts to divert the Red Star and bring an end to Thread in this star system clearly show how technologically lacking our people are," Sebell added, gesturing to the others. "We voted unanimously to accept your offer to sponsor our people and the planet Pern in our relations with the FSP."

"So be it!" the Matriarch responded, smiling and nodding. "And who is to serve as your ambassador?"

Sebell gestured to the crowd, a young gentleman coming forward.

"This is Ridar of Keroon Beasthold," Sebell introduced the young gentleman. "He has shown exceptional diplomatic skills when dealing with the different factions here on Pern. As one of our finer Harpers, I am certain he will do well as our ambassador."

"No," the Matriarch instantly responded, adding a cutting motion of her hand.

"But…" Sebell started to protest but was cut off by the Matriarch's raised paw.

"Even at this distance, I can see he is uncomfortable around our kind," she spoke, her gaze fixed squarely on the young Keroon Harper. "You need someone who is unafraid of those who are different from yourselves. You need someone who is also familiar with the FSP and its ways. There is only one person on this planet with the requisite skills you will need."

"Zucanno Om Lis Malu, fa…"

She once more raised her paw, cutting me off. "You know deep in your heart of hearts, ch'lia, that I speak the truth. It is why you sought us out in the first place!"

"Hell, Skipper," a familiar voice called out, the owner stepping through the crowd of Kendites, "you have more diplomatic tact in your little pinky than most of the front-line democrats of the FSP combined!"

"Davar!?" I gasped, tears falling as I stared, disbelieving, at his ludicrously smiling face.

In the next heartbeat, I had crossed the distance between us, throwing my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly!

"By all the Hells, what are you doing here?" I wept, pulling back to look up into his beaming, smiling face.

"Key told me what was going on," Dav chuckled, giving my shoulder a gentle thump. "So I contacted some of the representatives of the Aquilan Parliament. They've agreed to form a joint partnership with the Kendites, the two races acting as sponsors for the citizenry of Pern!"

"What?!" I gasped, my gaze flicking back over to the Matriarch.

"It is true, ch'lia," she acknowledged. "In a rare show of unity, both worlds have agreed to serve as sponsors for the world of Pern, to help ease your introduction to the FSP, assuming your people wish to formally join the FSP, of course. All your people need now is the best qualified among you to serve as their ambassador. Given your time as a first contactor in the FSP Star Service, you alone are singularly qualified for the post."

"But the hospital…" I stammered, gesturing in that direction.

"Dana, don't you see?" Moreta spoke, stepping up to me. "You promised Master Robinton that you would pass on your medical knowledge. That's why you built the teaching hospital at Robinton Cove. You have kept that promise, passing on everything you know, including the Eridani protocols, so that all of Pern would benefit. No one can dispute the good you and the other healer-riders have done. Now you have a chance to help Pern in a different fashion, to guide us along the path to our future in space. What do you say?"

"It will be a joint Kendite-Aquilan embassy," Key remarked, "with you as Pern's first ambassador."

"But… the Star Service!" I whispered, throat choked with emotion. "What about…"

"Oh, didn't Key tell you?" Dav chuckled, slapping me on the back. "We both retired from the service on the same day."

"What?!" I gasped.

"Couldn't be helped," Dav went on, grinning like a fool. "Merlea hated the service, so she gave me an ultimatum… her or the service!"

"Merlea?!" I gasped, hardly believing. "Don't tell me you…"

"Yep!" he laughed, pulling his female Aquilan bond partner to him, hugging her tightly. "Aah, it was time to settle down, anyway! The Service just wasn't the same once you left."

"Wait a sec!" I stammered, backing up a step. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious, ch'lia?" the Matriarch commented, laying a hand on my trembling shoulder. "As a joint Kendite-Aquilan embassy, we needed representatives from our two worlds to serve as our ambassadors!"

"You two?!" I spluttered, eyes threatening to pop from my sockets.

"And why not?" Davar demanded, glaring at me in mock refute. "We were a hell of a team once. We're just getting the team back together, that's all!"

I burst out laughing, nearly collapsing to the ground in my mirth, tears of joy cascading down my face. I hugged my friends to me, overwhelmed by what was transpiring. Nothing happens by accident, huh? Made me wonder what the future held for all of us!

Chapter 5 - An Unforeseen Crisis (Elli's P.O.V.)

"But whose gonna take over the hospital?" I cried. "I have no medical knowledge whatsoever. Moreta only works with animals, and the others are mere apprentices! What're we gonna do without Dana?"

"We'll manage," said Ryeena. "We all have had the Eridani protocols given to us by telepathic contact. I know almost as much as Dana now. I started training when I was 12 before I Impressed Sylene. We've been at it for 10 Turns. I know what to do. You can stay in the mental health field because no one's as good as you when it comes to comfort and therapy. The rest of us all shy away from that aspect, even Tiffany. You can see how uncomfortable she gets if you so much as burst into tears."

"But whose…"

"I will take over the head healer position. Now come on, Chlorith is glowing. I gotta get out of here."

"I don't want to leave either," Dana said gently, "but I have to. This is the right place to be. I'll come back and check on your progress. If you need an emergency healer, just contact me through telepathy, and I'll teleport over. I promise! I'll even interrupt a meeting if I have to."

I chuckled, knowing full-well that she'd want to interrupt a boring meeting.

"What if there's prejudice?" asked Ryeena, finally giving in to her own fears.

"We'll deal with it when it happens," Dana spoke soothingly. "I know there will be prejudice. Seeoru never leaves Robinton Cove without camouflaging herself, so no one outside our circle knows she's Kolrom. Has Holoo-Ro figured out how to camouflage yet?"

"Not as far as I'm aware," I said. "The only places he goes is to the shore to bathe Holooth and to the hospital. He doesn't go anywhere else. He's very apprehensive. He knows that people could hurt him if he goes anywhere else because he can't camouflage yet. He knows we at the hospital accept him, which is a big improvement from what he went through in his own reality, but how would the Pernese outside our circle accept him? He hid away during meetings with the Weyrleaders, Lord Holders, and Craftmasters, so no one had seen the blatant Kolromness in him."

"We could recruit Keynar, Feerah, Davix, and Merleek from the Starworld," I suggested. "They could help Dana, Keymon, and Davar in their mission to become ambassadors."

"Davar and Davix could be great dolphineers," Tiffany added. "They live in the water as well as on land. They could talk to the dolphins about possibly accepting other aquatic creatures on Pern. I believe Dana discussed a being called a slee that lives only in water and speaks telepathically."

"I do remember her saying something about them," I said. "She also discussed thecs and Heavy Worlders, but she didn't fancy bringing the latter to Pern, because they deliberately like to cause trouble."

"What about shell people?" asked Ryeena.

"We don't have the technology to implement those into our society. Besides, why would anyone want to become a shell person anyway? Just because you have a disability doesn't mean you have to become a shell. Granted, shell people have extraordinary amounts of intelligence, but how would they get that out of someone who has an intellectual disability? What about someone who's blind? How are they gonna see what they're supposed to do when they're a shell? I can see people with paralysis, but still, why would you want that for your child?"

"Shell people should still be allowed on Pern, but we shouldn't replicate the process unless an existing shell needs repair or replacement," said Dana. "You two have proven to me that people with disabilities are just as valuable as people without them."

I hugged my second best friend close to me, tears falling down my cheeks.

"I'll miss you," I sobbed.

"I'll be around," Dana grinned, wiping my tears away with the palm of her hand. "You take care of yourself now. I'll be in to check on you and perform surgery if need be, but I think you'll do fine without me."

"No, we won't!" I wailed. "Who's gonna live in your house?"

"I have two ways of teleporting, you know," Dana sighed exasperatedly. "I'll still live here at Robinton Cove but go back-and-forth to Landing every day. It's called commuting to work."

She chuckled, and I dried my eyes with the backs of my hands.

"My quest is to go to Leeaajhu and find Seeoru's people," I said. "I already got my family here. Now I think it's time to locate this tropical planet and recruit the Skolrom for colonization."

It took a whole sevenday to locate Leeaajhu on Ky's map, but we finally found it. It was all the way on the other side of the galaxy from Pern. It was going to take a very long jump _between_. Could Chlorith and I manage it?

"I'm coming too, twin," Tiffany said unexpectedly.

"You got eggs in your pockets," I argued. "You were egg heavy when you went to get your family, weren't you?"

Tiffany nodded disconsolately. Then she brightened.

"But if I wear a spacesuit, that'll protect the eggs," she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

I sighed.

"I just don't know what to expect," I said. "What'll they say when I suggest colonization?"

"You can't camouflage," Tiffany added.

"No Avianis can camouflage," I responded.

"Let's just go before we talk ourselves out of it," said Tiffany.

We collected our spacesuits and put them on under our wherhide jackets.

"You know where to go?" we asked our dragons in unison.

"Of course," they replied in the fashion of perfect twins.

We took off, and, when I gave the signal, we went _between_. It was the longest jump I'd ever taken — even longer than the jumps to Earth. I was only conscious that I was holding my breath when the oxygen sensors began to beep. I concentrated on my breathing as the cold engulfed me. I was very conscious of worry about my fledglings. How would they react to the cold? They were all too big to fit in my pockets anymore, but Hamian had made extra sleeves in my spacesuit for my wings, so I held them in my sleeves and prayed they'd survive. They had for the jumps to Earth, would they make it through this?

Suddenly, we erupted into sheer chaos. There were screams of agony cutting through the tropical afternoon air. People were falling down dead, seemingly of their own accord, as scaly, reptilian humanoids prowled among them. What the hell was going on? I couldn't see clearly. I heard a sob beside me. Tiffany was crying. There was blood and gore everywhere. We had just landed in the middle of a warzone. This wasn't safe. I urgently beckoned to Chlorith to take off, but she was transfixed by the scene unfolding before our very eyes. There were no weapons that I could see, but people, no, Skolrom, were being ripped apart, killed gruesomely. There was no discrimination between men, women, and children. The Siloe struck without any regard to life. I could sense their telepathic vibes and I didn't like what I sensed. They were still unaware of us. I suddenly remembered my telekinetic abilities and started grabbing indiscriminately at Kolrom men, women, and children to take to Pern with me. Tiffany began to do the same. Not all of the ones we grabbed could fit on the dragons, but we decided to teleport right from land.

_Hold onto us,_ I called telepathically. _Just link together. We gotta get you out of here!_

When the Skolrom realized what we were doing, they all clambered to join us. The Siloe were still trying to murder them, but somehow I'd conjured up a shield so strong that it prevented access to the Skolrom completely.

"1, ... 2, ... 3!" I shouted aloud as we took the jump _between_. It was remarkably shorter when we did it the Kolrom way. In fact, it was instantaneous. The Siloe had no idea where we were going, so they couldn't follow us because the shield was so strong. I let it down as we landed at Robinton Cove.

"We have an influx of patients, Ryeena," I said. "They came out of a warzone, so be gentle with them. I'll see to their mental health issues, but there's gotta be some physical wounds, too. I mean, come on, this was a warzone, for Pete's sake! I think I'm gonna have to heal my own twinny. She's in shock."

I quickly turned to her, threw my arms and wings around her, after letting the first 12 hatchlings crawl around on the ground and ferret for worms, and held her, running my hands up and down her chest. She let out an enormous sob and exploded into tears. I hadn't heard her cry like that since she was a teenager. I was deeply disturbed by the force of her sobs, but I still held her in both my arms and my wings. I couldn't let go. I knew she had caught the telepathic battle as I had. I knew she was traumatized by it and wondered why I wasn't. That scene had been horrific! Chlorith and Rollith let out muted keens, as though they weren't sure they were allowed to weep or not. Hearing this, Tiffany gently disengaged herself from me and ran to her dragon. I followed suit. We healed our dragons from the trauma, then turned to our new charges.

"I am Elli, and this is Tiffany," I said aloud. "We are originally from 21st century Earth, but we emigrated to 25th century Pern. We wanted to ask if you wanted to get rid of the Siloe and colonize Pern with us. Our menace is gone now, and we wanted to get in contact with the FSP, but we're still too technologically impaired to establish direct contact. We thought having people of other races living here would help us establish better contact with them. We've already invited the Kendite and the Aquilans to live with us. Now I'm inviting you. Will you stay?"

"How did you know about us if you're from 21st-century Earth?" the lead Kolrom asked. He appeared to be the Gelum.

"Quantum Ergokinesis," I said. "We discovered our dragons had the ability to teleport between alternate universes as well as place and time. We discovered your race on one such sojourn. In that universe, your race colonized Pern along with the original human settlers. I have all your abilities because of the contact I've had with Skolrom."

"But you're an Avianis now," called a child who was still clinging to Chlorith's back. "She's pretty."

"An unfortunate circumstance caused me to grow wings and feathers like the Aviani," I explained. "A P.U.M.A. attacked me and a little dragonet, and there was blood all over the place, and it spread Avianic DNA so that it mixed with my blood and I became an Avianic hybrid."

"Where will we live?" asked a querulous woman in the back.

"We'll refurbish houses for you," I said. "Seems to me like you didn't even have houses."

"Only because the Siloe destroyed them all," said a woman in the middle of the group.

"We better get Dana, F'lar, Lessa, ... all the Weyrleaders and Craftmasters and Lord Holders," Chlorith bugled.

Everyone was there in a heartbeat. Even Davar, Merlea, Keymon, and Sheena were there. All of them looked furious with us. We were in trouble now, and I knew it. I had a lot of explaining to do.

Chapter 6 – Half-Cocked (Dana's P.O.V.)

The anger in the crowd was thick enough to cut with a knife. Hardly surprising given what Elli and Tiffany had been involved in.

"By The First Egg!" Lessa roared, storming up to the pair. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?!"

"Please, I can explain!" Elli begged, her fledglings chirping frantically at her distress.

"It'll have to wait," I spoke, stepping between the seething Lessa and the new arrivals.

"Wait?!" Lessa stormed, seizing my arm. "Like hell it will!"

"It'll have to wait, Weyrwoman," I responded, meeting her furious gaze as I shook free of her grasp. "As Lord Holder of Robinton Cove, I'm placing this entire region under immediate quarantine. Unless you want to end up in isolation with the rest of our new arrivals…" Drawing my blaster and aiming it right at her, I added, "Back… off…"

Everyone gasped, stunned by my actions. Slowly backing up toward the new arrivals, I unclipped my walkie-talkie from my belt.

"All healers, code black!" I radioed. "Quarantine protocols now in effect! I need isolation inflatables brought to my location, STAT!"

"On our way!" I heard back.

"You wouldn't dare!" Lessa hissed, taking a step forward.

"You willing to bet your life on that, Weyrwoman?" I quietly responded.

_Ramoth, try to calm her down,_ I silently ordered.

Lessa's queen trundled over, putting her massive head between me and Lessa.

"Ramoth, get out of the way!" Lessa roared, thoroughly incensed.

"No," her queen softly replied. "She's just trying to help."

"Help?!" Lessa spluttered, totally incredulous. "By threatening me?!"

"You haven't seen what she has," Ramoth argued, momentarily meeting my gaze.

"Shaffit, what are you talking about?!" Lessa raged, turning her considerable fury on her dragon.

"Just this," I replied, pulling out my portable holoprojector and replaying what I had just recorded mere moments ago.

A large 3-D projection appeared in the air between us. Elli and Tiffany both gasped, the refugees quailing and screaming in fright as the recent events on Leeaajhu played out… but from a different vantage point than Elli's or Tiffany's. Even the gathered Pernese gasped, backing away from the horror they witnessed.

"Where did… how did…" Elli stammered, caught completely flat-footed by this development as the replay faded out.

"I can hear all dragons, remember?" I informed her, putting the holoprojector away. "The moment you mentioned Leeaajhu, I became concerned, so I followed you."

"But we didn't see…" Tiffany began, and then gasped. "Optical camouflage!"

I nodded.

"I knew the strength of your feelings for Seeoru and her people," I said to Elli. "I was worried you might do something rash… and you did."

"Dana, I…" Elli began.

Suddenly, the sky above us exploded with dragons, each carrying an inflatable isolation habitat. They settled quickly to the ground, their riders activating the inflation cylinders the moment they did. Within seconds, the area we were in was filled with isolation shelters, the healer-riders dressed in protective isolation suits as they helped the wounded arrivals into the protective shelters, sealing them in once they were secure. Explosive anchors quickly secured the structures to the ground while the healer-riders went around activating the life support systems of each shelter, providing light, power, and air conditioning to the modules.

"I…" Elli just managed to say, tears pouring down her face.

"That protective shield keeping the Siloe away?" I said, meeting her gaze. "Wasn't you, Elli. That was Tarnaa… and her TK shield."

"Tarnaa?!" she gasped, whirling to face my dragon.

"If we hadn't intervened at that moment," I told her, putting a gentle hand on her trembling shoulder, "the Siloe would've overwhelmed you all before you could've escaped."

"Dana, I…"

"You went off, half-cocked, not thinking it all the way through," I spoke. "Not only did you place your own life and that of your dragon in danger, you had your fledglings with you."

Turning to Tiffany, I said, "You both did."

"Ryeena, what's our status?" I asked, turning to my friend.

"Sensor readings show they're all stable," she reported, adjusting the controls of her med-scanner. "A few will need medical care, but I think we can handle it."

"Get with Seeoru about their nutritional needs," I told her. "We should be able to use the replicators in the isolation shelters to produce the food they need."

"On it," she acknowledged, moving off.

"Oh, and Ryeena,…"

"Hmm?"

"Run a genetics scan of our new arrivals," I cautioned, "just in case we have any disguised Siloe among the refugees."

Grimly, she nodded, heading off in search of Seeoru.

Elli was just standing there, sobbing forlornly, clutching her fledglings tightly. Tiffany wasn't in much better shape, unsure how to comfort her twin.

"Do you know what happened on Leeaajhu after you all vanished?" I spoke into the silence.

Elli did little more than shake her head.

"The Siloe went on a rampage," Tarnaa informed the crowd, "mercilessly killing the Skolrom who had not escaped."

"What?!" Lessa gasped, her face turning white as a sheet.

"Tarnaa and I followed them at a distance from the air," I added, tears forming in my eyes. "They rampaged across the countryside, destroying everything in their path. No Kolrom was spared. The survivors we have here may be all that's left of their entire race."

"NO!" Elli howled, collapsing to the ground, her heart-rending sobs bringing tears to the eyes of even the angriest person there.

I knelt beside her, using my hand to lift her chin so our eyes would meet.

"I should be angry with you for what you did," I quietly told her, wiping away some of her tears. "You needlessly risked not only your own life but that of your dragon and your children."

"Dana, I…"

"Pern isn't yours to decide who will colonize it, Elli," I went on. "We all have to work together in order to guarantee Pern's future."

"I'm sorry!" she wept, clinging tightly to my hand. "I just thought…"

"I know," I assured her. "Given what you experienced and what Tarnaa and I witnessed afterwards, it looked like the Siloe were determined to exterminate the Skolrom at all costs. The only reason I'm not angry with you is that your actions resulted in saving the Skolrom race from extinction. At least with these survivors, they have a chance to recover."

"You could've come to us," Keymon added, kneeling on Elli's other side. "Dav, Dana, and I are trained for that sort of work."

"If you had let us in on your idea," Dav spoke, coming up behind Key and I, "we could've come up with a better way to implement what you had planned."

"One that wouldn't have needlessly put one of my dearest friends in harm's way," I sighed. "Shells, Elli, you're gonna give me grey hairs at this rate!"

Laughing, sobbing, Elli threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly.

"Now, head on home and take care of your babies," I told her, helping Elli to her feet. "Your twin is going to need some cuddling, too."

Elli nodded, tears still falling, a slight smile on her face as she linked arms with her twin and, together, they headed off to their house.

"Would you have really used that thing on me?" Lessa asked, pointing at my holstered blaster as I turned her way. Seeing the expression on my face, she muttered, "Yeah, you would've."

I was about to say something when Lessa held up her hand, cutting me off.

"After seeing the replay of that attack," she began then stopped. Shaking her head, she added, "The Matriarch was right. If you can stay calm and deal rationally with that whole situation, then you really are the most qualified to be Pern's ambassador." Chuckling, she added, "Thanks for not pulling the trigger."

"I was tempted," I admitted, grinning.

Smiling knowingly, Lessa and I and the rest of the crowd headed off to check on our latest flood of refugees. We all had some serious planning to do!

Chapter 7 - The Traitor (Elli's P.O.V.)

I was not allowed to see any of the refugees until Dana had cleared them from quarantine, but that was all to the good, because Tiffany needed some special TLC, and I spent all my time ministering to her. Seeoru was devastated that the so-called myth of the Siloe was indeed true. She couldn't get her head around how any sentient being could be so evil.

She and Br'an had had their own house built right on the other side of Dana so that they could be available to her. Ryeena lived just on the other side of the square. Tiffany lived on the other side of me from Dana. I went from Tiff's house to Seeoru's house like a chicken with its head cut off. Whenever one of them began to calm down, the other one would send a telepathic distress call vivid enough to make me teleport right to them. The fact that Dana was using Eridani protocols to weed out Siloe from Skolrom didn't help matters. According to those so-called legends, Siloe could masquerade as Skolrom as easily as Dana could use optical camouflage. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I was sure there was at least one lurking about, biding its time till it could attack. As Seeoru had never seen an Iloe in her life, she was no help to Dana. She was a descendant of the original colonists of the Starworld.

When they were finally cleared to be seen by me, I could sense no Ill feelings from any of them, except one. He seemed to show no ill aftereffects from the horrific battle from which I had rescued him. He was simply blah. When I reported this to Dana, she suggested that Oubree might be in shock. When I went to snap him out of his shock and heal him, there was no change in him. I asked Dana's permission to try a few Eridani protocols on him, but there was still no change.

"His brain could've been fried," Seeoru suggested.

"How can you function if your brain's been fried?" I scoffed. "His emotions are just not there. Screen him yourself. You'll see."

I could sense Seeoru's mind making contact with his for the first time. She jumped back in horror.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

In the next heartbeat, he suddenly sprang to his feet and came at us. I didn't have my blaster on me, so I screamed telepathically for Dana. In the eight seconds it took for her to get there, Oubree had Seeoru in a chokehold. She screamed bloody murder, clutching her head with her hands, unable to fight him. Dana aimed her blaster and fired, stunning both of them.

"Why did you do that?" I demanded. "Now she won't be able to testify against him."

"They'll both wake up in a few minutes," Dana said soothingly, "but I needed to stun Seeoru, too, because of what he was doing in her mind. That froze the weapon he was using on her. If I'd've kept her awake, the weapon would've kept working on her, even with him stunned. Oh why the motherfucking hell didn't I catch him?" She cried passionately.

"Are you able to heal her, Dana?" I asked apprehensively.

"I think so," Dana replied, "but it was a near miss. He would've gotten you next if you hadn't called me. I'm sifting through memories now. He was starving as a child so he ate the Sukhoolo berries and became an Iloe. After that he cared about nothing else. He won't be able to be tried. He'll feel no remorse and try to kill his captors."

"What're we gonna do?" I wailed. "We can't send him to work in the mines or any other crafthall. He'll try to kill everyone in sight."

"I know, Elli, I know," Dana said resignedly.

She took aim with her blaster and vaporized him… before exploding into tears, flinging her blaster to the floor. I ran to her.

"You could've done nothing else, Dana," I soothed her gently.

I felt my hands and arms beginning to tingle as she sobbed heartbrokenly. I began to sing "Keymon's Song" as the tingling intensified. She wouldn't see it as a devastating loss by the time I was done but as a necessary act. Seeoru began to stir. She opened her eyes and sat up, gazing around her.

"Where's Oubree?" she demanded sleepily, "and why's Dana crying like that?"

"We had to remove him from the vicinity," I replied. "He's a liability to any prison we may put him in. He'd kill the other prisoners and his captors, and he wouldn't need weapons to do it either."

"He almost killed me," Seeoru whispered. "Dana saved my life by stunning me. I still feel really dizzy and lightheaded. I could faint."

"Lie down, Seesee," I told her. "Use his old bed. I know you usually wouldn't use the bed of a dead person, but you really need it right now. Just lie down and sleep. You need to get your energy back. I don't know what part of the brain he was working on, but it really sacked you out."

"Heal her, Elli," Dana said, recovering from her weeping spell. "I'm fine now."

I cradled Seeoru's head in my hands as I channeled my power into her. With one healing session, I had restored what he had taken from her. She got shakily to her feet and resisted all my attempts to lay her back down on the cot.

"You're an excellent healer, El," she said. "I can go about my work now. I'll check for any more blahness in anyone else."

"We didn't see it in any of the other refugees," I argued, but Seeoru was adamant.

"At least let me help you!" I cried. "I'm the one who caught it first!"

With all three of us helping each other scan the telepathic signatures of the refugees, we found no other blah, mellow, or otherwise evil thoughts. All the refugees were traumatized by the horrible lives they had led on Leeaajhu. Some of them were traumatized by the way they'd been rescued. They had not expected to be teleported all that distance. They didn't know where they were. They didn't know why they were being isolated and screened. It would take several healing sessions to get rid of all that trauma.

Chapter 8 – The Chrono-Archs Warning (Dana's P.O.V.)

I needed time alone… to think about what had recently transpired… to consider the mistakes that had been made… and to make plans on how to deal with it. So, I headed for the beach of the cove to wander the shore and to contemplate how to proceed.

I had grown up in the FSP, been guided by its laws and concepts. I had served as part of a first contact team, been catechized about the sanctity of life, and not interfering in the natural development of emerging societies.

And yet, mere moments ago, I had used my blaster to end the life of another sentient being. Granted it was an exceedingly malevolent lifeform… but still sentient. I knew very well that if I was still back in the FSP, I would've been found guilty of murder, and that didn't sit well in my conscience. There had to be a way to undo the error.

I paused a moment, watching the waves rise and fall as they raced onshore. In that instant, I knew what I had to do. The chrono-archs had repeatedly cautioned about tampering with the flow of a timeline, but I had to do something to undo this mistake. I had to force a divergence.

I held no illusions about the dangers involved. The lessons learned by dragonriders are replete with descriptions of the physiological effects of 'timing it' too close to yourself. And there was a very real, if slim, possibility that I could inadvertently damage my own timeline, bringing an end to my existence. But I was convinced there was no other way to cause the divergence.

_Are you sure about this?_ Tarnaa silently asked.

I didn't respond, jumping _between_ up to the Yokohama. Once there, I locked myself in the suit locker room. Donning my personal spacesuit, I sealed the helmet, making sure I had sufficient air supply for my task. Checking the power level of my blaster, I made sure it was set to stun and strapped it on. Then, double-checking the charge level of my med-scanner, I slung the carry strap over my head and shoulder, making certain the device was set for a high-density scan. With one final breath to steady my nerves, I concentrated on the image of my first destination… and vanished _between._

My plan required two jumps back in time. The first would take me to the moment Oubree attacked Seeoru. As near perfect as the Iloe camouflage ability was, I was certain there were genetic markers unique to the species that would clearly identify an Iloe from a Kolrom. But to be absolutely certain, I would need detailed scans of Oubree in order to carry out the second part of my plan… a jump back in time and across space to just before Elli and the others rescued the Skolrom from Leeaajhu.

Seconds after entering _between_, I emerged moments back in time, concealed behind some shrubbery just outside the window of the room where Oubree was being examined, arriving right at the moment he attacked Seeoru. I fired up my med scanner on high-density scan, doing my utmost to fight off the dizziness I felt 'timing-it' too close to myself. Given the urgency of Elli's telepathic cry of distress, I realized with a start that I would've been so focused on getting to her that I wouldn't even have noticed the unexplained dizziness.

I kept the scanner running, even when I heard the first blaster discharge, kept it running even when I heard the more intense blast that vaporized the Iloe.

That task complete, I jumped _between_ back to the Yokohama, returning just seconds after I had left. There was a computer terminal in the locker room. I plugged the med scanner into it, using the Yoko's more sophisticated computer to run a detailed analysis of Oubree's med scan.

"There it is," I whispered, the computer screen highlighting the tell-tale genetic markers that specifically identified the Iloe.

Even more importantly, this scan was unique to Oubree, making it easy for me to isolate him from the Skolrom he'd be hiding among. Coupled with the visual displays built into my spacesuit's helmet visor, I would be able to clearly highlight the Siloe, helping to guide the aim of my blaster. Drawing my weapon, I took one final look around me, formed the clear and concise image of my chosen destination in my mind… and made the long jump _between._

My destination this time around was a prominent rock outcropping that I had spotted from the air on my first visit to this strange, inhospitable world, out of the way yet overlooking the scene of carnage Elli and Tiffany dropped into on Leeaajhu.

The scene below was one of total slaughter. The Siloe were picking off the hapless Skolrom, systematically eliminating an opponent who had no way to defend itself. Right on cue, Elli and Tiffany, each astride their dragons appeared right in the middle of the mess. And there was my earlier self, high above astride Tarnaa, viewing the slaughter below, recording the scene for later playback.

I touched a button on my wrist computer pad, activating the sensor scan that would highlight the Siloe below. Those in the main group immediately stood out on the sensor screen on the inside of my helmet visor, their positions marked in red.

"There you are," I hissed, spotting the telltale red spot of the Iloe, Oubree, hiding among the cowering Skolrom below.

I felt Tarnaa establish her TK shield, helping to protect against the Siloe onslaught as Elli and Tiffany hastily tried to gather as many of the Skolrom together in a desperate attempt to save them from certain death.

I drew my blaster, using the scan info on my helmet visor to guide my aim, when, abruptly, the Iloe, Oubree, went sailing, flying back into the midst of the other Siloe, howling with rage at being denied his kill.

_What the hell?_ I silently cursed.

What had just happened? As I double-checked the scan info, I could clearly see no trace of any disguised Siloe among the Skolrom just as Elli, Tiffany, and their charges vanished from the surface of Leeaajhu.

_It is done._

Gasping, I looked up just as Tarnaa passed overhead, the view of my earlier self obscured by the bulk of her body. Below, the Siloe bellowed in frustration, their chosen prey vanishing before their eyes. I knew what was coming next. Rather than witnessing it again, I put my blaster away, jumping _between_ on my long journey hopefully back to my proper timeline.

Nearly twenty minutes later, I materialized back in the suit locker aboard the Yokohama. According to the computer screen there, only a few seconds had passed since I had made the jump to Leeaajhu. Now the question was which timeline was I back in?

Doffing my spacesuit, I hung it up in my personal locker then made my way up to the Yokohama's command bridge.

That had been Tarnaa's voice I'd heard on Leeaajhu! Had she been the one who had hurled Oubree out of the Skolrom, saving me from having to use my blaster instead?

_You are my heart,_ she spoke to me as the doors to the command bridge hissed open. _Time and space are irrelevant. I sensed you back then, knew what you intended to do. Chlorith's TK instructions proved useful to not only protect the Skolrom, but to also remove the Iloe hidden in their midst._

As I pulled up a seat at the communications station, she silently added, _No one else knows what happened. The divergence was successful._

I felt an incredible sense of relief sweep over me. Then, I silently wondered, _If I altered the past, why do I still remember it?_

_Isn't that how humans learn?_ Tarnaa replied. _You remember what happened in order to avoid repeating the mistake._

I burst out laughing!

_Tarnaa, I owe you big time for this!_ I replied, chuckling all the while. _Anything special you'd like as a reward?_

_A belly rub would be nice, _she told me. _And some oil. I itch a little._

_You got it!_ I assured her.

I placed a couple of calls from the Yokohama. The first went to the teaching hospital at Robinton Cove.

"How are your patients doing, Elli?" I inquired, seeing her worried expression in the comm screen, a few of her fledglings climbing across her shoulders.

"Distraught, disturbed," she responded, doing her best to accommodate her children and conduct her healing sessions among the Skolrom survivors. "It's going to take time. I was so afraid there might be an Iloe hiding among them. Rumor has it their camouflage ability rivals your optical camouflage."

"Optical camouflage has its limits, too, Elli," I assured her. "It can be defeated if you know what to look for. I've gone over the med scan data I took on Leeaajhu during your rescue mission."

"And?" she wondered.

"Thanks to the Yokohama's advanced computer systems and medical diagnostic subsystems," I explained, "we now have specific genetic markers that can identify an Iloe, even one that is camouflaged."

"Are you serious?!" Elli gasped.

"It's like the optical camouflage," I said. "It bends visible light, rendering the wearer invisible. However, it can't filter out the infrared radiation a warm body gives off. You can't block that with optical camouflage."

"So, if you know what to look for," Elli concluded, "you can find someone, even one hidden with optical camouflage."

"You got it," I replied, smiling. "The Iloe's ability to camouflage itself is impressive, making them a dangerous predator, but it can't hide those genetic markers that identify it as an Iloe. It's why I had Ryeena run genetic scans of the refugees. Thankfully, the results have all come back negative."

"That's a relief," Elli sighed, snuggling one of her fledglings to her head.

"I better let you get back to work," I chuckled. "Give Seeoru a hug for me."

My next call went to Landing, or more specifically, to the Embassy construction site.

"How's it going, Key?" I asked, noticing the hustle and bustle behind him.

"Most of the stuff is modular," he reported, nodding. "We should have the main building up in about a week… sorry, a sevenday. The rest of the support infrastructure should be completed a sevenday after that."

"That's fast work," I acknowledged, smiling. Then, more seriously, I added, "I'm glad the two of you are here. I've missed you."

"When are you stopping by, Skipper?" Dav chimed in, leaning into view. "The girls are dying to meet you!"

"Soon as I check on the Leeaajhu refugees to be certain they're being well cared for," I chuckled. "They got uprooted in a pretty drastic fashion."

"Given what you showed us, ch'hin," Key solemnly spoke, "they are fortunate to even be alive. How did we not run into them on our travels before?"

"Quantum ergokinesis, ch'har," I told him, chuckling at his puzzled expression. "I'm sure by the time I get there, you'll understand. Thanks again, guys! See you soon. Yokohama out!"

Once I secured everything aboard the Yokohama, I jumped _between_ to the edge of the quarantine encampment. Tarnaa was there, keeping a watchful eye on all the goings on. When I finished her tummy rub, aided with some oil for a small patch of dry hide, she thrummed her thanks, head stroking my cheek in gratitude.

_I'm the one who is grateful, my heart,_ I quietly told her, giving her massive head a proper bear hug. _Thank you for choosing me that day! And thank you for helping with the divergence._

_It was a good solution, lifemate,_ she replied.

"What was a good solution?" Elli wondered, several of her fledglings riding her shoulders as she approached.

"The isolation inflatables," I responded, leaning on the side of one. "How goes the work, Elli?"

"Slowly," she shrugged, "given the horrible conditions they were living under."

"Given any thought to where we can relocate the refugees?" I asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," she admitted, brightening considerably. "Given the rocky, desert-like environment they came from, the Far Western Continent here on Pern should be an ideal location for them. It will limit their contact with humans, giving them time to adjust to the relocation."

"But it's also close enough to the Tillek peninsula that supplies and materiel can be shipped to them if they need it," I added, nodding approvingly. "Nice choice, Elli!"

When she hesitated, I asked, "Something the matter?"

At first, she remained silent. Then, summoning her courage, she asked, "Did we do the right thing, Dana? Bringing them here? I know I had a crazy idea about increasing our species diversity here on Pern to improve our chances of getting into the FSP,…"

"But?" I prodded when she hesitated.

"I don't know," she admitted, shrugging. "I was so sure an Iloe was hiding among the Skolrom…"

"One was," I replied, drawing a startled gasp from her. "I think you somehow sensed it while you were there but were too distracted by the scene and the crisis to act on it. Because Tarnaa could hear you, while she was shielding you and the others with her TK screen, she spotted the hidden Iloe and used her TK ability to shove the creature out of the group of Skolrom you and Tiffany eventually rescued."

"God, I was so scared!" she muttered, shaking her head. "Are you sure?"

Grinning broadly, I nodded. "Genetic marker scanning of all the refugees have come back negative for any Siloe. You did good, Elli. I'm sure Seeoru is grateful, too."

What was that old Earth expression? 'That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!'

I spent some time meeting with the Skolrom in their isolation shelters, explaining the necessity, and doing my best to put them at ease. Then, Elli and I took a short flight on our dragons over to Landing to spend some time with my Star Service friends and to finally meet their spouses; Elli's fledglings chirping happily the whole time!

Chapter 9 – Sonuteenu (Elli's P.O.V.)

At first I was all for the isolation of the Skolrom, because they wouldn't be used to humans. The only humans who had ever visited Leeaajhu were Daphne Blair and her parents, and that was back in 2005 when they had rescued the original Seeoru from her crashing spaceship. Seeoru had become an ambassador to the Skolrom, even though she had been only six years old when she had discovered her parents were still alive. The parallels here were frightening. Our Seeoru's parents were also named Len-Ruun and Lonu, and Lonu was killed by a psychic energy bomb when Seeoru was 16. This Lonu had died in the war for Tennin, and that had happened when Seeoru was 16. Did the shoe just fit that way, or was someone pulling the strings?

Then I realized Leeaajhu only resembled a desert because the Siloe had ruined the landscape and killed all the animals. Whatever psychic weapons they possessed had completely changed the climate in the 2500 Turns since the original settlers had emigrated to Pern. The Siloe did not believe in peace, so that planet had seen war nonstop since the original settlers escaped. Even the Nathis were no match for the Siloe. After they had won that war, they had systematically destroyed the Nathis just for being alive. Leeaajhu had only been barren because the Siloe had made it so.

As I made my rounds and got the Skolrom ready for the move, I began to have second thoughts. What the Skolrom needed most of all was love and understanding. The Skolrom lived for love alone. They did not understand the hatred of the Siloe. They did not comprehend the necessity of war the Siloe felt. They fought only to defend themselves. They fought, in essence, for peace. The Skolrom had been no match for the Siloe in the battle I'd witnessed, because though they had the power to use their minds as the Siloe did, they would never have done so. They could even camouflage to look like Siloe, but unless they were spying on them, they'd never do it! If anyone camouflaged into an Iloe for a prank, they were actually imprisoned for it, so no one dared do it.

I vowed to myself that I would visit them daily. All of them had lost family and friends to the Siloe. Some had lost parents, some had lost siblings, some had lost children, spouses, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Family was a big deal to the Skolrom. The boys were usually raised by their fathers, and the girls were generally raised by their mothers, but if there was a rotten egg, then both parents took care of the remaining child, unless the remaining egg hatched twins. Then one parent would get one twin and the other parent would raise the other twin. That was what had happened to Seeoru and Seeonu, another parallel, because it had also happened to the original Seeoru and Seeonu, when they had given Holoo-Ro and Horoo-Ro to their friend who had had two rotten eggs. Horoo-Ro ended up becoming an Iloe, and Holoo-Ro was abandoned when his adoptive parents were killed by the Siloe. It was another parallel that this Seeoru and this Holoo-Ro were also siblings, but there was a divergence, because they were only half-siblings on Pern.

My Holoo-Ro was devastated about the whole situation. He had accidentally received all the images of the battle when I had broadcast it to Dana. Although his self-control was much better of late, it still needed some radical improvement. He stood there with me now, weeping fit to burst with their shared emotions. He needed particular improvement in his empathic shielding skills, as he had none at present. If he saw tears, they were immediately contagious. He would burst out laughing without cause just because he saw a smile on your face. He also cried whenever he healed someone. The tears of love were what gave him so much power in healing. Most Skolrom did not need to cry while healing, but he did. G'narish was the same way, I thought. Whenever he healed someone, he would also weep.

I toyed with taking the refugees back to the Starworld where they would be among their own kind, but then I vetoed that idea, as they had never even so much as looked at an Iloe before. They wouldn't understand what it was like to fight with the weapons the Siloe possessed. They were naive when it came to the old myths and legends about why their ancestors had escaped.

"I'm always here if you need something," I told them as we landed on the Western Continent. "There's not much here, but we do have an observatory set up if you want to look at the stars and see where you are in the galaxy."

I got no response.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I just thought you needed to be alone so you could adjust to your new home."

No response.

"Why are you mad at me?" I finally demanded. "I'm only trying to help!"

A soft, muted croon reached my ears, as though the Kolrom child did not think she was allowed to weep. I ran to her and put my arms around her.

"It's okay to cry," I said to her, but my words were also directed to the whole crowd of over 1000 refugees.

"If we weep, the Siloe will find us," the child whispered.

She looked to be about four years old. She could be a playmate for Empyrea, I thought.

"There're no Siloe here," I told her. "We can sort them out, even if they camouflage. We found one, but he was shoved out of the way before we rescued you. That's what the scan pad is for. We can monitor your health and determine your genetic code."

"The Siloe killed my parents, my twin brother, and my nurse," she whispered. "I have no one now."

And the croon that escaped her was the signal for all of them to finally let their grief show. I couldn't hug them all, so I sent out loving mental caresses. I knew healing took physical contact to achieve, but with over 1000 Skolrom crooning simultaneously, how the hell was I supposed to heal them all?

_I'm here whenever you need me,_ I broadcast to everyone and they all started a line for a hug.

The little girl who was the catalyst for catharsis was last to get a hug.

"Will you be my new Gelu?" she pleaded. "I know you already have a whole bunch of children, but I have no one. I was already adopted as a baby because my first parents were killed also so I can't be adopted by another Kolrom. Please be my Gelu. Please?"

Her voice and tears melted me down to a puddle.

"I suppose one more won't make much difference. I'll have to check with G'narish, but I think he'll be okay with it. He loves children. I'm sure he'll be your new Gelum. What's your name?"

"Sonuteenu," she whispered.

"Sonuteenu," I breathed back. "That's the loveliest name I've ever heard. That's a musical term, did you know that?"

Sonuteenu shook her head.

"Well I'll take you home for now. I have to keep building my house to accommodate more children. Now that I clutch instead of giving birth, I have more children than I can safely accommodate without expanding my premises."

"You don't want me?" Sonuteenu breathed, pleading with her brown eyes.

"Yes, I do want you," I breathed. "I just have to expand. G'narish won't let me put a bedroom down in the basement. Looks like he'll have to make an exception now. Chlorith, are you ready to go?"

Chlorith keened in response. The grief of the refugees affected her deeply, and she had to let it out.

"What's that?" asked Sonuteenu, noticing my dragon for the very first time.

"That's Chlorith, my queen dragon, and she's very sad about the state you guys are in." I said.

"Is she empathic?" asked Sonuteenu.

"Yes she is. She's empathic, telepathic, and telekinetic. She can teleport, but differently than what you can do. She has to go _between_ first, which is a cold nothingness that deprives you of sensory feelings, but that ends in about 8 seconds if you're taking a short journey. It took us 20 minutes to get from here to Leeaajhu. I had to wear a spacesuit so I could breathe. Don't tell Chlorith, but I think your way is better. You are there instantaneously. If dragons could learn to do that, we'd be in business."

I gathered the child into my arms and put her on Chlorith's neck ridge. I strapped both of us in and we took off for home.

"I think Chlori's way is better," Sonuteenu murmured. "You can fly in the air."

"Someday, when you're older, you might Impress a dragon of your own," I told her. "How old are you now?"

"Four," she whispered, as though ashamed to admit her age.

"My," I said, "you're a really big girl! You're practically grown up!"

Sonuteenu clung to me as I lifted her off Chlorith's back. She was shaking from head to toe.

"Let's get you warmed up," I said. "You're frozen solid!"

G'narish was waiting at the door for me as I set Sonuteenu on the doorstep. He rolled his eyes at me, then smiled.

"I'm thinking we could put one of the twins in the basement, or perhaps both of them, so that she can have a room near us."

"How many children are you gonna rescue?" G'Narish sighed exasperatedly. "First Cilyntia, then Holoo-Ro, now this one."

"I rescued Empyrea too." I reminded him.

"But she doesn't live with us," G'narish smiled.

"Why do you want a room in the basement so badly?"

"I used to sleep in the basement," I reminded him in a duh voice. "I know my basement was a death trap, but this one is not."

"And the twins would like some privacy," G'narish muttered. "All right. We'll put the older twins downstairs, but their dragons won't like it."

"Leave the dragons where they are. Just put the twins downstairs," I said. "I'm not making a four-year-old sleep in a basement. The twins were gifted with the Eridani protocols as well as the Kolrom gifts, so if their dragons need them urgently, they can always teleport to their sides. That leaves an extra bedroom for one of our fledglings when they're able to leave the nest."

"We're gonna have to relocate, or else turn our house into a hold," G'narish said.

"I'm in favor of the latter," I said. "I'm not relocating away from the hospital. I have patients from both realities who desperately need me."

"I suppose we could build more houses for the twins. Ryeena's house is looking lonely all by itself. They're only 16, but they're mature with mature dragons. Perhaps it's time for them to leave the nest. I'll check with Tiff because her twin sons would be moving in with our twin daughters, but it'd free up more room. Besides, haven't you noticed the new shapes the twins are taking on lately?"

I gasped. I hadn't noticed anything. They hadn't told me either.

"How far along. are they?" I demanded, reeling from this shock.

"About six months!" G'narish said, his eyes welling up with happy tears.

"And I never noticed a thing!" I cried. "I'm their mother for the love of the first shell! I'm supposed to notice everything about them!"

"You've been so busy lately with the hospital and our hatchlings that you haven't had the time to look properly."

"Is Raeana pregnant too?" I begged.

"With twins," G'narish said happily. "She didn't want to tell you because she thought she'd burden you."

"Burden me?" I demanded. "Burden me? I'm upset that she didn't tell me! I would've rejoiced with her. I would've been happy about being a grandma again!"

"We'll put the twins downstairs until their houses are built,". G'narish said, getting back on topic. "We'll need smithcrafters to build the new house. As long as it's within walking distance, I'm fine with them moving out."

"Okay, that's settled," I said happily. "Go easy on Sonuteenu. She's lost two sets of parents to war already, and she's only four. She would've had to fend for herself like Holoo-Ro, and I definitely don't want that!"

"At least she can't find any Sukhoolo berries here," G'narish said. "We're safe from her becoming an Iloe."

I smiled.

"But she would've starved to death if she would've gone with the other refugees. If you've already had two sets of parents, and you managed to lose both of them, you don't deserve to live in Kolrom society. They would label you as worthless."

Sonuteenu crooned softly. I swept her up in my arms and held her tightly. She clung to me, weeping fit to burst.

"I want you, Sonu," I whispered. "I think you're worthwhile. I'll be your Gelu now. I'll take good care of you. I promise! I love you, Sonuteenu! I love you very much."

I radiated all the love and tenderness I possibly could in her direction, and gradually, the croons subsided, and she fell asleep in my arms. I laid her on our bed for now, until we could get the twins' stuff moved downstairs. When that was finally done, we lifted Sonuteenu up and carried her to Ariana's bed, where we tucked her in and let her sleep in peace, safety and comfort for the first time in her life.

Chapter 10 – Tropical Dream (Dana's P.O.V.)

"Tropical, you say?" I mused, speaking with Elli about the Leeaajhu refugees as we surveyed the ongoing construction of the Kendite-Aquilan Embassy at Landing.

"That's how their home was before the Siloe invaded," Elli muttered, her latest charge, Sonuteenu, close beside her, looking just a little apprehensive. "The Western Continent may no longer be a viable home for them."

"Hmm, agreed," I was forced to admit. "But let's not give up hope yet."

"What do you mean?" Elli wondered.

"The Western Continent is merely the largest of the land masses that make up the Western Ring Islands," I explained, pulling out my portable holoprojector and bringing up the map of Pern for that region. "There are several large islands along that ring that are closer to the equator."

"And they may be much closer to the tropical environment the Skolrom are accustomed to!" Elli exclaimed, her excitement rekindled.

"And they're still relatively close to the Tillek peninsula," I went on, gesturing at the map, "making supply delivery still feasible. Want to go check it out?"

A quiet whimper caught my ear. Sonuteenu. She was clinging to Elli, afraid to let go of her new Gelu. I shut off the holoprojector and knelt in front of them.

"Sonu, honey, this is Dana," Elli introduced me. "She's going to be Pern's ambassador to the Kendite-Aquilan alliance."

"I am honored to meet you, young one," I spoke, nodding to her.

"Dana's the one who started the teaching hospital at Robinton Cove," Elli explained. "She's even been mentored by the Eridani."

"Who are they?" she wondered.

"They are the premiere biogenetic engineers in the galaxy, sweetie," Elli replied.

"Huh?" Sonuteenu stammered.

Chuckling, I told her, "They understand how all living things are made, dear child. They understand how to alter how a thing grows, helping to make it better, stronger."

"Could they give me wings like Chlori?" she wondered, a little of her nervousness fading. "I wish I could fly like her! Or like my Gelu!"

"Oh, sweetie, that's so precious!" Elli sighed, hugging Sonuteenu.

"Actually, Sonuteenu, I could use your help," I said.

"My help?" she pondered.

"How?" Elli chimed in.

"I'd like to take you and your Gelu to the islands in the tropical region of the Western Ring Islands," I explained. "Once you've had a chance to see what they are like, you can help me talk to the rest of the Skolrom… see if we can convince them to relocate there."

"They won't listen to me," Sonuteenu muttered, clinging to Elli.

"The poor dear lost her real parents and her adopted parents in the wars with the Siloe," Elli muttered, blotting away some of Sonuteenu's tears.

"Like what happened to Holoo-Ro," I sighed. "Hey, now there's an idea!"

"What?" Elli and Sonuteenu spoke simultaneously.

"Sweetling, Holoo-Ro Impressed a dragon!" I explained, grinning broadly. "Think the other Skolrom would listen to you if you showed up on a dragon? Especially a bronze one ridden by another Kolrom?"

"Now that would really get their attention, wouldn't it?" Elli laughed.

"Well, Sonuteenu?" I asked, reaching my hand out to her. "Can I count on your help?"

Slowly, hesitantly, Sonuteenu took my hand, glancing nervously from me to her Gelu. When Elli smiled and nodded, the little Kolrom finally said, "Okay. I'll help!"

Three dragons and their riders landed on one of the equatorial islands of the Western Ring Islands of Pern. Sonuteenu was positively goggle-eyed as she stared at the rich tropical foliage all around us.

"It's so beautiful!" she wept, sliding down Holooth's side to finger one of the smaller ground palms that abounded.

"This is what your home used to look like?" Elli asked, sliding down Chlorith's side.

Sonuteenu nodded, tears pouring down her face.

"It's just like the stories my Sgelum told me," Holoo-Ro whispered, turning slowly about as he took in the view of the scenery.

At that precise moment, my sat phone rang.

"Dana here," I answered. Listening carefully, I smiled, saying, "Okay, thanks, Rill! Good work!"

"What was that all about?" Elli wondered, her gaze never leaving Sonuteenu as she wandered about.

"Rill's aboard the Bahrain," I responded, clipping the sat phone back on my belt. "I had her do a hi-res bioscan of the fauna here in the islands."

"What for?" Elli wondered.

"I wanted to be certain the Southern felines hadn't somehow migrated to these islands," I replied, drawing a startled glance from Elli.

"And?" she nervously asked.

"The islands are clear," I assured her, grinning broadly. "The refugees should be just fine… if we can convince them to settle here. What do you think, Sonuteenu?"

"It's perfect!" she wept, hugging Elli tightly.

"Then let's go talk to the other Skolrom!" Holoo-Ro declared.

It was a short flight from the tropical islands to the larger Far Western Continent where the Skolrom refugees had relocated to. Elli and I deliberately let Holoo-Ro and Sonuteenu ride together on Holooth, letting them lead the way as we landed on the refugee beach. Gasping and gawking, the other Skolrom gathered around the pair, hesitantly reaching out to touch Holoo-Ro's lifemate.

"We found a better home!" Holoo-Ro declared, waving excitedly to the gathered crowd.

"Just like the stories of old Leeaajhu!" Sonuteenu exclaimed, picking up on Holoo-Ro's excitement.

"What do you mean?" one of the elder Skolrom wondered.

"There are several large islands south of here," Elli jumped in, sliding down Chlorith's side to join her adopted child, "closer to Pern's equator, and covered with lush tropical vegetation just like your home world used to be!"

The Skolrom refugees all looked nervous, apprehensive, fearful that it was all too good to be true. So, I hit upon an idea.

"Holoo, show them!" I told him.

"Dana, I don't think that's a good idea," Elli cautioned.

"Gelu may be right, Dana," Holoo-Ro muttered, looking uncertain. "My pathing is still not quite under control."

"The only way you'll gain control is to practice, Holoo," I calmly replied.

"Dana's right, Holoo," Tarnaa spoke aloud, drawing startled gasps from the refugees. "Try."

Nervously meeting Elli's gaze, Holoo-Ro took a deep breath, closed his eyes…

And broadcast a steady vision of the islands we had just visited. Elli gasped, startled at the clarity and modulated strength of Holoo's broadcast. When he finally ended and opened his eyes, he could see tears pouring from the eyes of the refugees.

"That's here?" one asked, glancing up at Holoo-Ro astride his dragon. "On Pern?"

Holoo-Ro nodded.

"And we can settle there?" another wept, clutching hands to heart.

"Yes," Elli affirmed, smiling proudly up at her adopted son.

"Can we go now?" another asked.

"Absolutely!" I replied, unclipping my sat phone from my belt.

Every available healer-rider from Robinton Cove turned out for the relocation conveyance. In almost no time at all, we had the Skolrom refugees transferred to the largest of the mid-equatorial islands in the Western Ring Islands. Many of the refugees wept upon landing, overcome by the beauty that for most had been only a legend. A few cried openly, sinking to their knees at the sight of the place.

"What will they do for shelter?" Elli asked, glancing about at the weeping Skolrom, doing her best to comfort those nearest to her.

"I have a thought on that," I remarked, kneeling in front of Sonuteenu. Taking her trembling hands in mine, I asked, "Do you remember the isolation shelters back at Robinton Cove?"

Slowly, Sonuteenu nodded, glancing briefly over at her new Gelu.

"I know those are not exactly your people's fondest memories of your arrival here," I softly spoke. "But now that the quarantine period is over, they can be converted into regular shelters, giving you and your people a temporary place to live until you can erect houses of your own."

"Really?" Sonuteenu whispered, her eyes filling with hope.

I nodded. "There's a large clearing atop a hill further inland. It's spacious enough for all the shelters plus a special addition. Care to see?"

"Special addition?" Elli wondered, coming up to us. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see," I replied, winking. "What do you say, Sonuteenu?"

Still clasping my hands, she glanced briefly around at the other Skolrom before turning back to me, saying, "Okay!"

Smiling, I unclipped my sat phone from my belt and called Robinton Cove.

About an hour later, the healer-riders returned to transport the Skolrom refugees to their new home. As we approached the site, I could see many of the Skolrom waving and pointing. They could see the shelters arranged in a circle around a central clearing, but what really had them excited was the sight of a Kendite transport shuttle parked discreetly to one side of the vast clearing plus the addition of a much larger structure inserted at the northern perimeter of the shelter arc.

"What's all this?" Elli wondered as we all approached the larger structure. "Wait! Those look like the construction modules they're using on the Embassy building!"

On cue, the central doors of the structure opened, and out walked Dav, Key, Merlea, and Sheena, grinning fit to bust their faces open.

"They look surprised, Skipper!" Davar chuckled, hugging his mate to him.

"You knew about this?" Elli demanded.

I nodded. "Turns out the Embassy construction team brought more modules with them than they needed."

"When the Matriarch heard about the plight of the Skolrom refugees," Sheena chimed in, "she ordered these spare modules be donated to the cause."

"So now the Skolrom have a new Administration building and central meeting hall for their use," Merlea added, grinning first up at Davar then at the stunned Skolrom.

Pointing to the solar arrays on the roof of the Admin building, Key said, "The building is self-contained, able to withstand the storms that sometimes hit these equatorial regions, so it can also serve as an evacuation shelter if need be."

"The main admin office is also equipped with a sat phone and satellite internet uplink so that you can keep in touch with us back at Landing," Davar added.

"By the First Egg!" Elli whispered, speechless. Abruptly, she whirled, punching me hard in the shoulder. "You could've told me about this!"

"Nah!" I chuckled, rubbing my shoulder. "Then it wouldn't have been a surprise!"

Weeping openly, Sonuteenu unexpectedly ran up to me, hugging me tightly. Startled at first, I glanced over at Elli. She was nodding, so I gently wrapped my arms around the Kolrom child, returning the hug.

"Hey, hey!" I softly spoke, wiping away the tears. "It's okay! You're safe here! No need to be afraid anymore!"

Unconsciously following Elli's example, I just knelt there, hugging the poor child, rocking gently back and forth, doing my best to comfort her. Unexpectedly, Goldie popped out of _between_, landing on the child's shoulder. Startled, Sonuteenu looked ready to scream in terror… until Goldie quietly trilled, rubbing her muzzle gently against Sonuteenu's tear-stained cheek. As I watched, Sonuteenu's eyes slowly lost their frightened look, and, with a sigh of relief, she gently hugged Goldie's head to her cheek.

"Now," I spoke quietly, rising to my feet and taking Sonuteenu's free hand, I said, "how about we check out the shelters so you can see what changes have been made?"

"Can she come, too?" Sonuteenu asked, Goldie peering out from under the child's other hand.

"Of course," I assured her, turning in the direction of the nearest shelter.

Chapter 11 - Moving Forward (Elli's P.O.V.)

"I'm keeping you with me though, my precious little Sonu," I said. "As you told me yourself, you'd be rejected among your own people because you couldn't keep your parents. I think that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, but at least it led you to me. I love you, despite the number of children I already have. I love you as an individual. You're precious to me because you're who you are. I love you Sonuteenu Rae. You're my angel child."

Sonuteenu wept again at my declaration.

"We'll come visit often if they want us to. We'll even set up a weyr so that dragonriders will protect them. The Western Continent doesn't have a Weyr on it. Of course, all we need is an observatory now, since we just fought our last ever Threadfall two sevendays ago, but we're gonna need observatories to watch for any P.H.O.s that might want to collide with Pern. People are predicting that the divergence of the Red Star might cause Pern to be in danger from comets and asteroids. We've already dealt with several cometary fragments, so we know what to do. Our objective now will be to train future dragonriders to deal with the fragments before they come in contact with Pern. We'll also use our dragons for interstellar travel. We took the antimatter cores out of the spaceships you see in the sky, so we can't use them anymore. That'll mean only dragonriders will be able to travel off planet, but sometimes you gotta let the leaders of your government take control. Dana's a dragonrider, and she's the ambassador for the Kendite and the Aquilans. I bet she'll make me the ambassador for the Skolrom and Aviani. It's logical for me to be the Ambassador for the Aviani, because I became one in an attempted assassination, but what do I have to offer to the Skolrom but comfort?"

"You're babbling," Dana smiled. "I don't think she understood a word you just said."

"We teleport if we want to go off planet," Sonuteenu said as though it were as normal as breathing. "We only use ships when we don't know where we're going."

"I bet you would've had to sleep longer than 15 years to get here," I remarked. "We were _between_ for a full 20 minutes when Chlorith and I went to rescue you and your people."

"That was exciting but very cold," Sonuteenu observed, shivering slightly. "My fur worked like a spacesuit, so I don't need one made for me. My fur does a lot of things. It keeps me warm, it comforts me when I'm sad, and it works like a protective suit when I'm gonna do something dangerous. Many of our people fled to other planets to escape from the bad people."

"The Siloe?" I asked.

Suddenly, Sonuteenu began to shiver uncontrollably, her whole body began to spasm in terror. Saying the name of the enemy had sparked a reaction in her—a reaction that was almost like a seizure. I could see her fur bunching up around her, as though it were trying to hold her in nonexistent arms.

"I'm sorry, honey!" I cried, sweeping the frightened child up in my arms. "I didn't know you'd react that way. I'm here, sweetheart. It's okay. The bad people are gone. They can't hurt you here. It's okay."

I felt the now familiar tingling in my hands and arms as I held her, rocking her back-and-forth, humming softly. It wasn't a real song, just a few repetitive notes to soothe her. Gradually, her terrified crooning subsided and she raised her head from my shoulder.

"What if they followed us here?" she wept. "They can cam'flage like us."

"We have ways of telling them apart from you," I reassured her. "There're none here. It's okay. That was partially what the isolation period was for—to root out any enemies and deal with them."

"They only killed my parents two days before you rescued us," Sonuteenu whispered. "I saw it happen. They were ripped apart by TK abilities. There was a lot of blood. They made me bathe in it and tried to feed me berries. I wouldn't take them because they're bad people, and I teleported away, but I came out right in the middle of a battle. I hid for two days without food or water, and then I saw Chlori in the sky. I heard your telepathic voice and I knew you were good. I came out of hiding just as you landed. They didn't see me, so I just stood there in the middle of all the action, and you grabbed me with your mind and put me on Chlori's back."

"Oh, precious!" I cried, my eyes welling up with tears. "You're so beautiful. You didn't deserve any of that!"

"Is that why you eat like a pig, Sonuteenu?" Tiffany teased gently, but Sonuteenu obviously didn't know she was teasing and began to cry again.

"She's just teasing, Teenu," Dana said gently. "She's trying to make you laugh. Do you want a meatroll?"

"We don't eat meat," Sonuteenu declared, letting me wipe away her tears. "We never eat a sentient being."

"Animals are not sentient!" I cried. "They're stupid! They only understand the commands you train them to understand. They don't talk back to you. You can't carry on a conversation with them. They have literally no intelligence whatsoever."

"Have you ever tried to carry on a telepathic conversation with an animal?" asked Holoo-Ro. "It's like conversing with your dragon. Animals have a lot to say if you only engage them. All the stories of animals having a sixth sense are true. You'd have that same sixth sense if you just followed your instincts."

"Animals are nuisances," I said. "They're only useful because we make them so. We use them like inanimate objects all the time. We use horses when we could be using sleds. We use dogs to hunt when we could use binoculars. Blind people use dogs to guide them around when they could use sighted humans or canes for the same thing."

"Animals can be our friends too, Gelu," said Holoo-Ro seriously. "They can tell us a whole bunch of things. That's why I was so surprised when I couldn't sense the P.U.M.A. that attacked you. It looked so much like a feline that I thought it was real. I knew the one that attacked Aunt Tiffany was a robot because felines can't fly, at least not on Pern."

"Dragons can't communicate with animals," I protested.

"Have they tried?" Holoo-Ro demanded.

"They're more interested in eating them," I smiled. "They're carnivores, not omnivores."

"When you're a carnivore, you really have no choice," Holoo-Ro conceded. "But if you're an omnivore like we are, you do have a choice. Plants aren't sentient at all, so we can eat them. That's why I always reject the meat you cook. That came from sentient beings. Just because they don't speak your language, Gelu, doesn't mean they're stupid and beneath your notice. If you speak to them telepathically, which you should be able to do now that you have a combination of Kolrom and Avianic powers, they can speak in clear English. Perhaps not in words, but they can send very vivid images. They're like fire-lizards, except that fire-lizards can reach even those without telepathic abilities. Animals can't."

"I'll have to take you up on that sometime," I remarked, "but now, I'm on a mission. I need to get to Tennin to convince the Aviani to come colonize Pern. This is gonna be difficult as they're probably afraid of dragons because of the war."

"I'd come with you," said a voice as Angelica fluttered down beside us, "but my dragon's only a baby. She still can't fly."

"Leave her behind," I blithely spoke. "We won't be gone long, and someone'll oil her while you're gone. She'll be all right. We need you to be the ambassador for us. They probably want me to do it but I don't want to leave my position at the hospital. No one else can specialize in mental illness like I can."

"I was thinking of taking up permanent residence on Pern," Angelica confided, "but I'm really close to my mother, Angeline. She's always looking out for me, and I really miss her. Ever since we lost my father and all my siblings to the war, Mother kind of got a little overprotective of me and the children. Understandable, as we're all she has left, but I do like having my freedom."

I smiled gently up at her where she hovered with her feet at eye level.

"We'll get Empyrea and Mini Ramoth to come with us. They'll understand some of their own kind more than they'd understand a hybrid like me."

"You look enough like a true Avianis that they'd listen to you, especially if you mention Shandra," suggested Angelica.

"You know what? I'll ask her to come along," I responded. "It's because of her you won the war in the first place, and this isn't even the reality that fought against you. We're all for diversifying our culture and bringing in new species to live with us and intermingle with us."

"I know you are," Angelica smiled back at me. "But a lot of them are very afraid of dragons because those who rode them attacked them with blasters. We had never even seen a blaster before, much less wielded one. We had to rely on the primitive weapons we use to hunt animals for blanket making. We would've lost the war if it weren't for Shandra."

"I'll come, too, as they might need telepathic support," insisted Holoo-Ro.

"What if you lose control?" I asked.

"Perhaps that's what they need right now," said Angelica. "Someone who knows their fear because they're broadcasting it. They need a great deal of empathy, and Holoo-Ro can provide that."

"Holooth's not old enough to fly yet."

"I'll do the unthinkable and leave him behind," Holoo-Ro sighed. "Dana can watch over all our dragonets."

"Oh no, Dana cannot because she's coming with you," Dana declared, coming up to us and joining the conversation. "Ryeena's very capable. She'll watch over the dragonets. This might take a few days, though. I fear the Aviani will be harder to convince than the Skolrom, Aquilans, and Kendites."

"I bet you'll be the one to do it, Day," I confidently spoke. "You convinced two out of the three races to sponsor us and start colonies on Pern. The Skolrom really didn't have a choice. For them, it was either get the hell out of there or face extinction. There was no time for diplomacy. I'm really not that good at it. We do need you, Day-Day."

"Day-Day?" Dana queried, giving me a look.

"How else would you shorten Dana?" I asked. "There are so many ways to shorten some names, and there are no ways to shorten others. People used to call me El when I was growing up. My friends called me Els or Ellsworth. I hated that! Ellsworth is a town in Wisconsin, not a nickname!"

"If Elli's going, I'm going too," G'narish declared stoutly. "I won't be separated from my Weyrmate again!"

"Okay, everybody, get your spacesuits then, and let's go. Let's embark on this new journey together and face anything that comes our way!"

"Wait a minute," said a new voice, and Tiffany, already spacesuited, joined us as we put ours on. "Do you think I'd let you all go without me?"

"Or me?" D'nag demanded. "If you think I'm gonna be apart from my brother or my weyrmate for one second, you're very sadly mistaken!"

"I'm used to Dana doing things on her own," L'trel said, "but she's actually leaving the planet, and Tarnaa looks extra bright to me. Hopefully she won't rise on Tennin, but it might actually happen the way she's looking."

"Oh, L'trel!" Dana cried, flinging her arms around him. "This time, you'll get to see me in action."

We all laughed as we mounted our dragons. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching croon split the air.

"Sonuteenu!" I cried.

"Normally I wouldn't let little kids come along," Dana said, smiling knowingly, "especially on a diplomatic mission, but you've just recently become her new Sgelum, and she just lost her last ones. You can't leave her like this. Let her come."

"Okay, okay," I smiled. "I couldn't stand to be apart from her for one minute anyway—not with the state she's in."

I lifted her up and set her on Chlorith's back. "Ready to go, little one?"

"You mean it?" Sonuteenu cried incredulously. "I can come along?"

"Yes, you can," I said, smiling indulgently down at my newest charge.

"Let's get this show on the road," Dana said, and she raised her arm in the signal to take off.

Chapter 12 – The Avian Emissary (Dana's P.O.V.)

One thing was abundantly clear. Elli was determined to populate Pern with as many new races as quickly as she could. Difficult enough under normal circumstances. Recent events were proof of that. The Abominators. The Exiles Crisis. And those only involved ordinary humans!

Discovering the latent transdimensional abilities our dragons possessed opened up the proverbial can of worms. Yes, it allowed us to be introduced to other humans on a parallel Pern. It even allowed us to participate in the saving of that Pern from the asteroid, Toutatis. Along the way, we were introduced to the Skolrom, the Aviani… and of course, a despotic Lessa, which was quite a shock… and the bloodthirsty, merciless Siloe. Given the turmoil the citizens of Pern had dealt with just among their own kind, I wasn't convinced they were prepared for the cultural shock of dealing with other alien races on such a personal level.

Many of the leaders on Pern… Lords Holder, Weyrfolk, and Craftmasters alike… had expressed interest in reviving the technological knowledge that had been lost in the millennia since the Ancients had first come to Pern. That quest for knowledge had proven to be a two-edged sword. Yes, it had allowed the dragonriders to accomplish the impossible… bringing an end to Threadfall forever on Pern, but it had also triggered the first Abominators crisis, nearly costing the much-loved and respected Masterharper Robinton his life.

The results of that first crisis had planted the seeds for the second… the Exiles Crisis, where thousands of Pern's citizens had narrowly escaped an horrific death through the use of the very same technology that the Exiles had originally forsworn.

And now we were attempting to jump _between_ to planet Tennin in hopes of talking the Aviani into setting up a colony on Pern. Of all the humans on Pern in our reality, I was the only one who had been around and even befriended other alien species like my comrades, Dav and Key. I had sought out the Kendite Matriarch because she knew who I was and what I had done for her. With their help, plus the unexpected but valuable cooperation of the Aquilan people, I felt confident that we could reintroduce the lost technology to Pern and gradually reintroduce the Pernese to the FSP. It would also open up possibilities for those dragonriders who wanted to explore space, now that their prime task of defending Pern from Thread had been brought to a successful conclusion. But if the two crises and the subsequent events were any indication, effecting change in Pern's society was going to require the utmost of patience and perseverance.

And there was one other thing Elli seemed to be ignoring. Pern was a sovereign world, independent of the FSP. While we could certainly act as ambassadors representing the people of Pern, we did not have the legal power or authority to go around establishing alien colonies on Pern.

The Skolrom Evacuation had been an emergency, and, having witnessed the ruthless nature of the Siloe, I was forced to admit that Elli's hasty actions had saved a sentient species from extinction. However, her actions and the refugees' arrival had provoked the ire of Pern's leadership, and my own interaction with Weyrwoman Lessa during the quarantining of the arrivals had strained that relationship.

I could appreciate Elli's point of view, especially where it related to possibly rejoining the FSP and reestablishing all the lost technology on Pern. But we were mere servants of the citizens of Pern, representing their interests and our dealings with other worlds. As a healer, I had the added burden of doing everything I could to protect the people and creatures of Pern from diseases that could be brought planet-side by our new arrivals. The isolation protocols I had invoked during the Skolrom refugee crisis was proof of that. Whatever actions we pursued, we first had to gain permission from the citizens of Pern, or we would be no better than the departed despotic fubar starwoman.

"Anyone see Shandra and Minith?" I asked as I mounted Tarnaa.

"Why?" Elli wondered, glancing around.

"For the same reason I sought out the Matriarch instead of sending someone in my place," I explained, clipping my riding belt into Tarnaa's harness.

"The Matriarch knew Dana," Tarnaa chimed in. "The Aviani will know Shandra. It makes sense that she should make first contact with them."

"Well, what about me?" Elli spluttered. "I look like one of them now."

"Yes, you do," Shandra called out as she and Minith landed nearby. "But they don't know you from Adam, Elli. Dana's right. I have to go with you to at least break the ice."

"And I'm coming, too," Empyrea broke in, she and mini Ramoth landing beside her human caregiver.

"Empy…"

"You know I'm right, Gelu," the little Avianis argued, sitting up tall on her lifemate.

"She has a valid point, Shandra," I said, nodding. "She is one of them, and she can explain what happened during that battle."

Sighing, Shandra nodded. "Alright, sweetheart. Just please be careful!"

"That applies to all of us!" I chuckled. "Empyrea, we'll follow you and mini Ramoth. Got a good place we can jump _between_ to?"

Smiling broadly, she nodded.

"Then give the fix to mini Ramoth so she can relay it to the rest of us," I suggested, pulling on my helmet and locking it in place.

_I have it now,_ Tarnaa silently reported.

_Then let's do this!_ I replied, giving the signal to takeoff.

In seconds, the sky was filled with dragons. Higher and higher we climbed, spreading out slightly into a Thread-fighting formation before we all vanished _between_.

It was a long jump, nearly as long as the one to Leeaajhu. Abruptly, we emerged from _between_, mountains filling our view before us. But there was something else there, too, something that Empyrea and mini Ramoth led us directly to. It was a large structure, reminiscent of some of old Earth's castles. It had a sizeable courtyard, and that's where Empyrea and mini Ramoth landed, the rest of us settling to the ground just behind her.

As we removed our helmets, I heard her call out, "Welcome to the Aerie!"

Shandra gasped. "The place you told me about?!"

Empyrea nodded, sliding down mini Ramoth's side.

Within a few heartbeats, the air around us was full of Aviani, a few of them I realized bearing blasters, possibly scavenged from the battlefields. The others were carrying what looked like spears or pikes. All of them pointed at us in a clearly threatening manner!

"Sonuteenu!" Elli wailed, clutching the Kolrom child tightly. "Don't shoot! Please!"

"These are friends!" Empyrea called out, stepping to the front of her dragon.

"Shandra!" one of the Aviani called out, recognizing the human.

"Please!" she begged, raising her hands in a clearly non-threatening fashion. "We come in peace!"

"Peace?!" a loud female voice shouted, the owner stepping to the front of the Aviani. "You expect us to trust you after what that mad woman did to us?!"

"Grandam!" Empyrea exclaimed, run-flying to the Avianis leader, hugging her tightly.

"Empyrea?!" the woman gasped, not believing her eyes. "But I saw…"

Empyrea vigorously shook her head. "Shandra thought that queen dragon was attacking me. She had no idea Chlorith was actually there to save my life!"

"Chlorith?" the leader pondered.

"Elli's dragon," I spoke up, stepping forward as I pointed to her queen. "Shandra thought she had killed Empyrea. Hearing about it, Chlorith and her rider, Elli, jumped back in time to just before the moment Shandra fired her weapon. Elli didn't know the blaster was only set to stun. She saw the battle around her and thought Empyrea was in danger. So Chlorith picked her up and they all vanished _between_, returning to our hospital."

"Ah, so that's it!" the woman sighed, nodding and smiling. "Now it finally makes sense."

Smiling as she hugged Empyrea, the woman added, "Child, I am so relieved to see you again. And you, Shandra! Thank you for what you did."

And that's when Empyrea's greeting of the leader finally snapped into place. "By the Fire Falls of Firlea!"

"Dana, what's wrong?" G'narish wondered, coming over to support Elli.

"This is Angeline!" I exclaimed. "Angelica's mother… and Empyrea's grandmother!"

"Her grandam!" D'nag gasped from beside Tiffany.

"Angelica?!" Angeline exclaimed, turning to me. "Is she alright?"

"She is alive and well," I was happy to report, "back at our hospital where's she's been busy taking care of her dragon!"

"Her dragon?!" Angeline spluttered. "Are you telling me…"

"Believe me," I chuckled, relaxing just a bit, "I'm not sure who was more surprised… your daughter… or everyone else who was at the Hatching!"

"Seraphea!" Angeline exclaimed. "Is she…"

"Showing her mother how to take care of her dragon," Elli was happy to report as she joined me. "Both are doing remarkably well."

"Please," I said, bowing deeply, "do you have a proper title, Angeline? I'd rather not offend you if I can help it."

"I am the Conservatrix," she responded, "the guardian of my people."

"My thanks, Conservatrix Angeline," I replied, once more bowing.

"Grandam!" Empyrea interrupted, bouncing up and down. "That bad woman is dead!"

"Dead?!" Angeline gasped. "How?"

"Hydrogen sulfide poisoning," Elli reported, nodding. "She was serving out her time in one of our mines when she inadvertently ruptured a buried gas pocket. Her death was nearly instantaneous."

"A kindness she didn't deserve," Angeline muttered, shaking her head. "Me and my people are grateful for the news, but surely you didn't come all this way just to tell us. Wait! You're not an Avianis!"

The Conservatrix was examining Elli closely, fingering the feathers on her wings as she did.

"No, Conservatrix," Elli admitted, bowing slightly. "I used to be human…"

"Until she had a run-in with one of F-Lessa's P.U.M.A.s," Holoo-Ro explained.

"Damned mechanical assassins!" Angeline cursed, swiping at the air. "We're still running into the damned things here on Tennin, but we can't find them!"

"Their optical camouflage?" I wondered, getting a nod in return from the Conservatrix.

"Have you tried scanning for the volatile they carry?" Elli asked. When the Conservatrix turned her startled gaze her way, Elli added, "It's how I was transformed into a human-Avianis hybrid. You can't hide that behind optical camouflage."

"Gelu, there's also the infra-red signature given off by the drone's power source," Holoo-Ro added.

"Right!" Elli agreed. "The damned things can't hide that from your scanners!"

"Do it!" Angeline ordered, pointing to two male Aviani beside her, each one carrying what looked like a med scanner.

The two Aviani scanned the local area, their brows becoming furrowed with worry.

"I'm picking up a heat source on the cliff above us," one reported, glancing that way. "But I don't see anything there."

"I'm picking up traces of that volatile the damned things have been using!" the second added, glancing in the same direction.

Several blasters, including my own, came out, focusing in that direction. A feral roar split the air, one of those damned P.U.M.A.s appearing mid-air, in a leap clearly aimed at the Conservatrix! Abruptly, it stopped mid-air, frozen mid-leap. The Aviani with blasters aimed their weapons at the device, intent on vaporizing the thing.

"No! Don't shoot!" I shouted, holding my hand up. Turning to Elli's dragon, I ordered, "Up! As fast and as far as you can!"

In that split second, I had sensed Chlorith's TK power at work, snaring the assassin machine before it could harm the Conservatrix. Now, seeming to grin, she channeled her considerable TK power into a single, massive thrust, sending the P.U.M.A. skyward so fast that it created a sonic boom! A heartbeat later, there was a flash of light and an even larger boom, loud enough to make us cover our ears.

"Stars above!" Angeline whispered, staring at the dispersing fireball above our heads. "What happened?"

"My dragon!" Elli sighed, patting Chlorith on the neck. "She used her TK power to stop that P.U.M.A. before it could hurt you."

"But that wasn't enough to keep us out of harm's way," I explained. "The device has a failsafe. If it fails to reach its target, it is programmed to detonate its anti-matter power core as a last ditch resort. Small as the power cell is, if it explodes, it can vaporize everything within a five dragon-length radius."

Glancing at Chlorith's size then at the area around her, Angeline gasped, "That would've been everyone here!"

"It's also the reason I warned you not to shoot it," I added. "The moment Chlorith stopped it, the P.U.M.A. activated its failsafe. If we had fired at that moment, the failsafe would've gone off, killing everyone here."

"Shards and shells!" G'narish hissed.

"Sonu, honey, you okay?" Elli asked, carrying her Kolrom charge on her hip.

"Uh huh!" she whispered, clinging to her Gelu.

"Seems I owe you and your dragon a debt, Elli," Angeline spoke, bowing to her. "So, what brings you and your companions to Tennin?"

When Elli hesitated, I nodded.

"Our world is considering rejoining the FSP," Elli explained, giving Sonuteenu a brief hug. "We're trying to restore all the technology we lost over the millennia, and we think the FSP can help us do that. So, we've been inviting other races to establish colonies on Pern, helping us to broaden our connections with the rest of the galaxy, thereby proving to the FSP that we are suitable to join them."

"At my behest, Conservatrix," I jumped in, "the Kendite and Aquilan people have agreed to sponsor Pern, to serve as our buffer with the FSP as we attempt to renew ties with them. They have already constructed a joint Kendite-Aquilan embassy on Pern."

"And Dana is serving as our ambassador to the two worlds," Elli said.

"I see," Angeline said, nodding. "Have other species set up colonies yet on Pern?"

"Only one, so far, Conservatrix," Elli replied, nodding to her Kolrom child. "We rescued a large party of Skolrom from a merciless Siloe attack and relocated them to a large tropical island on Pern that closely matches the original environment they were accustomed to."

"What about the Kendites or the Aquilans?" Angeline wondered. "We are familiar with both races and have good relations with them."

"The Skolrom relocation was an emergency measure, Conservatrix," I responded. "We have as yet not had a chance to discuss the establishment of other colonies on Pern with the current leadership there."

"Unlike Ambassador Dana," Holoo-Ro spoke, coming to stand beside me, "who originally came to Pern from the FSP, the rest of the beings there have had little exposure to other races."

"By establishing the colonies on Pern," Elli said, smiling up at her Kolrom son, "we're hoping to change their attitudes towards other races and prove to the FSP that we are worth their interest."

"I see," Angeline responded, nodding sagely. Abruptly, she straightened, saying, "Then I will return with you to Pern to see this world and learn for myself if they are worth our involvement."

"Conservatrix!" one of her aides gasped.

"I wish to check on the welfare of the rest of my family," she insisted, her manner stern, her tone one that brooked no argument. "How will we get there?"

"We can carry you, mother of Angelica," Tarnaa spoke, coming up beside me, "if you don't mind riding another sentient being."

Angeline chuckled, patting the side of Tarnaa's neck. "So, my daughter somehow Impressed another being like you? Now I definitely have to return with you to witness this miracle!"

Quickly, we remounted our dragons, preparing to return to Pern. Angeline insisted on riding with me.

As I was belting her into Tarnaa's riding harness, several of her aides approached, the lead one saying, "We'll send out the S&D teams immediately, Conservatrix, now that we know what to look for."

"We'll have the planet swept clean by the time you return," another assured her, brandishing his scanner.

"I'm counting on it," Angeline replied, nodding. Then, thumping me on the shoulder, "Let's move!"

All the dragons took to the Tennin sky, climbing higher with each beat of their gossamer wings. Then, abruptly, all vanished _between._

Back at Robinton Cove, Angelica and Seraphea were busy feeding their dragons and oiling their hide when dragons emerged directly above them, settling to the ground a short distance away. There was no mistaking the look of shock and joy that lit up the faces of the two Aviani as the Conservatrix of Tennin glided off Tarnaa's neck ridge to embrace them both in a heartfelt, tear-filled hug!

Chapter 13 - The Avianic Crisis (Elli's P.O.V.)

What I had seen on Tennin had disturbed me through and through. Not only were there P.U.M.A.s still attacking the hapless Aviani, but they were also starving. Conservatrix Angeline was thinner than a tooth pick, and she trembled where she stood. I knew all Dana's reservations, but I also strongly felt that the Aviani were no longer safe on Tennin until they could plant new crops. Angelica had said they were vegetarians, so they needed crops just like the Skolrom. I felt that this was just as much of an emergency as the evacuation of the Skolrom had been.

F-Lessa's blasters had not only destroyed Avianic life but also their livelihoods. They hadn't known what technology was until Shandra and her riders introduced them to it. She had left several med scanners behind when she had left Tennin, so the Aviani knew how to use them by now, but they still did not know anything about computers or machines. They really didn't need to know the art of healing, as they had their own healing abilities, but it was still good to know that kind of thing. Although all of us at Robinton Cove were gifted with the Eridani protocols, we still practiced the more conventional ways of healing unless it was a die-hard emergency.

Knowing what I did about Conservatrix Angeline, I wanted to heal her right away. She had lost all her children except Angelica in that awful war. Angelica had been the first to hatch, so she was her eldest. Now she was her only child, and that would probably remain the case, as Aviani mated for life, and she had lost her husband as well. I set my first 12 fledglings down so they could crawl around and, tentatively, held my wings out to the Conservatrix.

"What's that for?" she asked warily.

"I want to ease your grief," I said. "It's written all over your face. I want you to be happy again."

"None of us can heal each other's grief because we all have it," she muttered. "You have to be able to reach out of your own grief to heal someone else's."

"I'm not grieving right now," I told her, "except that I'm sad about the state of your planet. We can bring some crops to you, but I don't know how they'll survive _between_. If it were an eight-second journey like it is to go places on this planet, that'd be one thing, but this journey takes about three minutes, and the crops will be deprived of oxygen."

"Plants breathe in carbon dioxide," Angeline corrected me. "They breathe out oxygen."

"Still, there's no carbon dioxide _between_, either," I reminded her. "Not to mention the cold temperatures."

"If we brought small crops to Tennin that can fit in the pockets of our spacesuits, we could manage," Dana suggested. "What do you eat?"

"Anything that's not meat!" Empyrea instantly and impudently replied.

"What's poisonous to you?" I amended my statement.

"Some mushrooms, some berries, poison ivy, poison oak, poison hemlock, poison sumac, all the plants and fungi that are poisonous to you are poisonous to us."

"But I still eat meat," I said. "I can't live without it."

"We've never eaten it, so we actually don't know if it's good for us or not," Angeline sighed. "Angelica's sister, my daughter, was given a meat roll by a dragonrider, and it killed her instantly, but they did have a lot of poisonous herbs with them as well. They could easily have crushed one of them into the meatroll. We also need trees. They cut down all our trees so we have nowhere to live. The only building still standing is my castle. Shandra built that for me when my treehouse was destroyed. She built it in honor of Empyrea, as she was very fond of Shandra's stories about old Earth castles."

"I could let you take a look at our skybroom trees to see if you could live in one of those," I suggested. "They have the strongest wood we have on Pern, and you could build houses out of that very easily."

"We also need to do something about our orphans," whispered Angeline, clearly pained by that fact. "We have a lot of them because we breed very often."

"I know," I remarked. "I have 24 myself, not including all the human children I have."

"You could start an orphanage for these refugees," Dana suggested offhandedly. "You could incorporate all the races involved: human, Kendite, Aquilan, Kolrom, and Avianis."

"What about my job at the hospital?" I demanded. "I have mental health patients I would entrust to no one else, and this war is definitely going to bring in more."

"We could add a new wing onto the hospital," Tiffany suggested. "Then you can literally be in two places at once."

"We never adopt children because they don't imprint on second parents," Angeline said. "We generally keep them in orphanages until they're adults, but they don't generally thrive. When an imprint is broken, it's like losing half yourself. I don't know anyone who has recovered from that. Angelica was in denial about Empyrea, and it turns out she was right, but I hovered over her for weeks. I had to keep telling her Empyrea was gone, but she must've sensed her somewhere because she wouldn't believe me. I know all my children are gone. I don't sense them anymore."

And the Conservatrix broke down right there in front of all of us. I did the unthinkable… and gave the remaining 12 fledglings to Dana so I could heal Angeline of her grief.

"I'll ask Aramina about building the new wing for the orphanage onto the teaching hospital," Dana said, wrestling with the fledglings, trying to keep them still.

They wanted me, and they wanted me right now, but I had a job to do. I enfolded the Conservatrix in my wings and held her, rocking her back-and-forth as I hummed soothingly. I didn't let up until she cried herself to sleep in my wings. This was the cue for the others in her party to break down as well. Even the children wept, and I had to take it in turns to heal each and every one of them. Then I had to contend with my own little ones because they were screaming for me by the time I was finished.

"Okay, what do you say about making a colony here?" I asked.

"Let's explore here first," the Conservatrix said, awakening from her little nap.

"I'll never forget what you did for me, Elli," she said in an aside for my ears alone. "I never used to accept healing from anybody. I thought it was a sign of weakness to admit I needed healing, but you showed me that to be strong is to be weak."

"Exactly," I said. "Being weak is to hide your feelings and bottle it up and explode later."

"I haven't wept in years," she confessed. "That felt good to get it out."

"I bet," I remarked, giving her another hug with my arms this time, because my fledglings were clinging to me and refusing point blank to let go.

"Don't ever worry about breaking your imprint with your hatchlings," she told me. "They're already bonded with you enough."

"Now it's time to get them out of the nest," I sighed.

"Not yet," Angeline cautioned me. "They're too young yet. They need to be a full year old before you attempt to let them go for long periods at a time. What you did there was okay because they could still see you but leaving them with someone else when you leave the room is definitely not okay."

I nodded, then took her up on Chlorith's back.

"Let's explore this planet!" I cried. "Aloft, Chlorith."

"Are we gonna go _between_ again?" Angeline asked.

"No," I told her. "We're gonna survey the land so you can see where you might like to live or where you'd like new colonists to live if you'd prefer to go back to Tennin."

"Someone can always replace me as Conservatrix," Angeline told me solemnly, "but no one can replace my family."

"Quite understandable," I agreed. "How would they replace you?"

"We'd have a telepathic election," she replied. "We'd nominate someone and then vote on it telepathically so we wouldn't have to call a meeting as we're so widely spaced about the planet."

"That makes sense," I commented. "It's better than the dramatic elections we had on Earth. That was like going back to high school all over again."

"How old are you?" Angeline asked me suddenly.

"I'm 58," I told her, surprised that she'd ask me such a personal question. Of course, I don't hide my age from anyone, especially nowadays that 58 seems so much younger than it did before my transformation. "You?"

"I'm 36," she responded. "I started out young."

"You're of age when you're 12, though, right?" I asked.

"Yes, but we don't usually start copulating till we're in our 20s. Angelica is a special case, because my brother took an inappropriate liking to her, but she chose to keep her babies instead of eating them for breakfast, so now I have grandchildren."

"I was 36 when I Impressed Chlorith," I told her, "and there are three queen eggs on the Hatching Grounds at Robinton Cove right now, so we could put you on the ground as a candidate."

Angeline shuddered. "I couldn't! Dragons are evil!"

"They most certainly are not evil!" I cried indignantly. "Lessa was the evil one! Her own dragon repudiated her and chose Empyrea instead. That has never happened in Pernese history in either of our realities. You'd be the perfect candidate for a dragon! You have a high empathy rating, and you're telepathic. What dragon wouldn't choose you?"

I set my hatchlings down again and enfolded the shuddering Avianis in my wings. Gradually, her fear subsided as I rocked her back and forth.

"Now," I said afterward, "let's get on Chlorith's back and survey the land."

I helped Angeline up and strapped her in securely, and we took off. It took the better part of two days to survey all of Pern, but she finally decided that the grove of skybroom trees near Lemos Hold was the perfect place to start a colony. The layout of Pern was so similar to the layout of Tennin that Angeline had to ask several times if we hadn't teleported back home. From our aerial survey, it looked as though Pern had the same plants as Tennin, but only a ground survey would tell us for certain.

"While we were gone, Aramina was drawing up plans for the orphanage wing in the hospital. I had decided on 18 bedrooms for the orphanage, so I could separate the children by age groups and sex, but not race. I wanted to mix the races all together so they could learn to integrate into one society. One side of the wing would be for boys, the other for girls. We could hire additional dragonriders to staff the children's wing. We could add fire doors that would separate the children's wing from the rest of the hospital, so that contagious diseases would not penetrate the children's wing. We still had to worry about disease spreading from the Aviani to the humans, so we had to put Angeline and her party in quarantine.

After those two weeks were over, and they were found to have no diseases in them, we set about building houses in the skybroom trees. We stripped bark from the trees like the Aviani showed us, made lumber out of it, and built the houses we would need. We'd start small and let the colony grow by itself. I was itching to go back to Leeaajhu and check to see if any Skolrom survived the Siloe's purge, but that would have to wait until the Aviani were settled.

"Dragons can't live in trees, though," Angeline observed.

"I bet they could live in these," I countered. "Skybrooms are pretty strong, and they could go swimming whenever they want, because they can fly down from the trees. They don't have to worry about Thread anymore, so all they'll have to worry about is getting wet when it rains or snows. Dragons are pretty used to the cold as they have to go _between_ quite often."

"What's that thrumming?" she asked, suddenly on the alert.

"Oh my god, the eggs are hatching!" I cried. "We gotta go!"

I quickly teleported Angeline back to the eggs. I rushed to join G'narish in our usual spot. Tiffany, Dana, D'nag, and L'trel stood by our sides, as Rollith and Tarnaa had clutches on the Hatching Ground as well.

"Assemble the candidates!" I cried. "Wear this!"

I thrust a white robe at the now-naked Angeline. I knew the Aviani usually went around naked because of their feathers, but it was tradition that the candidates wore robes for the Hatchings.

"I can't fit my wings through." she argued.

"Put them through the arm holes," I suggested.

But naturally, that didn't work, so we ended up discarding the robe. She couldn't camouflage like the Skolrom, so she couldn't get rid of the wings.

The Hatching began in earnest. Eggs cracked almost simultaneously as though the dragons couldn't wait to get out of their shells. Two of the queens hatched simultaneously. The little queens passed up all the human candidates and went for two Kolrom refugees. We had given them the opportunity to Impress as a way to integrate them into Pern's society. Dana had her reservations about this, but I didn't think there'd be prejudice among the riders, as it was the dragonriders who were implementing all these changes. The only dragonrider who had thought AIVAS was an abomination was G'lanar, and he suicided long before we had started integrating Pern. It was the common people, the holders and the crafters, we had to worry about. If they saw that dragons accepted these people as riders, perhaps they would also accept them.

It would take some getting used to, but I thought Dana's fears were groundless. The common people didn't have blasters after all. They wouldn't bank on the races' ability to heal themselves. These races were already in enough trouble as it was. They were literally struggling to survive. The least we could do for them was make life better. That'd be an FSP action, and one we'd have to commit to if we were going to rejoin the FSP.

"Elli!" Angelica's cry got my attention.

I tended to zone out when I was lost in thought. I looked in the direction she was pointing. The third little queen had hatched, and she was making a beeline toward the Conservatrix.

"Life mate!" she cried aloud.

Angeline gasped. No dragon had spoken to her aloud before. They had all used telepathy, because we had thought their speech might be a little hard to explain to a primitive being like Angeline.

"She can talk?" Angeline gasped.

"We can all talk," said Chlorith. "We just had to have a genetic component added to our original programming. Take her!"

"Take her?" Angeline was confused.

"She wants you," Chlorith cried. "Take my daughter before I telekinetically throw you at her!"

Angeline walked the few steps toward the little queen.

"Her name is Angeleth!" she cried rapturously, kneeling down and enfolding the little dragonet in her wings.

"How am I gonna bathe her?" she cried, a sudden thought coming to her. "I can't go in the water. I'd lose the ability to regulate my body temperature."

"Our dragons bathe each other," replied Seraphea, coming up to her granddam. "We can't swim either, so we call the dolphins to bathe our dragons for us. We oil them on land, and we found the plant that produces our feather oil, too."

"You did?" Angeline heaved a sigh of relief.

"Yes we did. It's called numbweed here."

"It has two purposes now," I chimed in. "It gets rid of pain and it oils our feathers."

"I have a lot to learn," Angeline sighed as she held her dragon. "I have no choice but to stay here now. I can't take Angeleth off planet."

"Not for a couple years you can't," I agreed, "but once she's able to fly, you'll be able to take her anywhere you want."

"My people are still too afraid of dragons," she muttered sadly.

"But if you go there and show them you're not afraid anymore, they'll learn not to be afraid either. You're their leader! They look to you to set the example."

"I am no longer the Conservatrix as of right now," she told me. "They've elected a new Conservatrix. I just approved the choice."

"But you're still a former Conservatrix," I argued. "People followed you. They'll follow you again in a heartbeat if you show them you're not afraid of dragons."

"There're a lot of people who are very mad at that woman," she sighed, "and they blame all other humans for her actions. They're guilty by association. There may be a lot of prejudice on both sides."

"We'll deal with it when it crops up," said Chlorith distractedly. "Feed your dragon. I'm going off to eat."

"She hasn't eaten in three sevendays," I told Angeline as I smiled indulgently at my dragon. "Now lemme assure you these meat scraps are not poisonous. Dragons are carnivorous, so they can't be vegetarians. Do you not eat meat because animals are telepathic? That's why the Skolrom don't eat meat. Personally I don't like animals because I think they're unintelligent because they can't talk back to you, but both Seeoru and Holoo-Ro say you can have telepathic conversations with them."

"Animals are sacred," she replied. "They show us how to live our lives. They show us how to stay away from predators. We learn a lot from watching them. I suppose you could call it telepathic communication. They don't say words in your head, but you get images projected at you." When I gave her a dubious look, she added, " It's kind of like your fire-lizards."

"But they can't understand you," I protested.

"If you project images at them, they'll understand you," argued Angeline. "They understand emotions without any explanation. They feel emotions too."

"I'll have to take you up on that, too," I said. "For now, I prefer to help the children. Their plight is more real to me than the plight of any animal."

Angeline began to feed Angeleth scraps from the bowl, and I withdrew to give the new pair some privacy. I wandered over to G'narish, who was poring over the plans for the new wing of the hospital.

"I don't know if this is going to be enough, Elli," he said. "There're just too many children. I think we'll need several wings, boys' wings, girls' wings, a wing for younger children, and a wing for older children. This is gonna be complex. We're probably gonna need a separate building for the kids."

"But then, how am I gonna do both duties?" I complained. "I'm not a spring chicken anymore, and I am not planning on giving up either job! They're both my passions in life."

"You can teleport!" G'narish reminded me in a duh voice. "You can go from building to building in a heartbeat. You won't even need Chlorith for that. You can teleport like a Kolrom."

"Yes, I know, but what if I need to be in both places at once?"

"You can't be in two places at once, darling," G'narish chuckled; "but with Seeoru as your second in command, you'll do fine. All the hospital staff will be there to help you as well as some additional staff that'll be there just as orphanage workers. We'll add human orphans as well so that there shouldn't be a major crisis. The only major crisis I can see coming up is that we might have some prejudicial issues to deal with."

"I know, Nar, I know," I sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Chapter 14 – The Aerie Au Courant (Dana's P.O.V.)

With the arrival of the Conservatrix and her party, Elli had wasted no time setting up yet another non-human colony for the Tennin visitors. As they were, in essence, a species of humanoid birds, it made sense that they primarily nested in trees. The sky brooms of the Lemos region were a logical choice as they most closely resembled the trees the Aviani knew on their home world.

I still had my reservations. I hadn't actually been to the chosen site since the construction had begun, so I caught up with Mastersmith Fandarel at his home in the Smithcraft Hall in Telgar Hold, and the two of us took off to inspect one of the sky broom 'nests' just across the way over on the plains of Lemos Hold.

Tarnaa brought us easily down to the construction site high in the crown of one of the sky broom trees, but it was a somewhat tight fit. Unhooking from Tarnaa's riding harness, the Mastersmith and I slid down her side to the wood decking that made the foundation of the 'nest'.

"Easy!" I cautioned the burly Mastersmith as he wobbled slightly near the edge of the 'nest'. "Don't want you taking a dive from up here."

"Nor do I wish to," he muttered, stepping away from the edge.

"Construction seems to be moving apace," I observed, noting the newest Aviani structure going up.

"Aye," Fandarel admitted, "but there are only so many sky brooms. And the space up here is severely limited."

He wasn't exaggerating. As massive as the trunks of the sky brooms were, the rest of the plant really didn't spread out much as it reached to the skies of Pern. At best, there was just enough room for a single dragon and a modest sized single family dwelling. And the sky brooms seemed to be limited to the Lemos region of Pern, nowhere else. That meant, our world could only handle a small influx of Aviani refugees… if they insisted on nesting as they did on Tennin. Compounding the problem of space was their reproductive rate and clutch sizes. The small space atop each sky broom could quickly prove untenable. Worse, they were a fair distance from Landing, the embassies, and the cultural center I was hoping to establish there.

"Yes, that will definitely limit our options for accepting Tennin refugees," I sighed, feeling a little dejected.

"There is another solution," Fandarel spoke, pulling a drawing out of his waistband.

Stepping over to the center of the build area, he unrolled the drawing, laying it flat on a work platform there.

"Angeline was kind enough to describe her home on Tennin," he began.

"The Aerie, yes," I acknowledged.

"Stone-working we already know how to do," Fandarel explained, pointing at the drawing. "With the Ancients' cutters, powered by the power cells we now know how to make, erecting structures like their Aerie would be rather easy… here."

He planted his finger on a map near the edge of the drawing.

"The Eastern Barrier Range?" I noted, glancing from the map to him. "That's in the Southern Continent!"

"Aye, it is," Fandarel acknowledged, nodding and smiling, "with soaring cliff faces that could be easily outfitted with numerous new Aeries, and…"

"It's within easy distance of Landing," I noted, double-checking the map.

"And the Embassy buildings being built there," Fandarel finished, meeting my gaze. "Assuming you still intend to use Landing as your cultural exchange site."

"It's proximity to the AIVAS facility makes it the ideal location," I replied.

"There are also the healing facilities available to them at Robinton Cove," Fandarel added. "I should think that also needs to be taken into consideration… especially when dealing with beings whose physiology is so different from our own."

Chuckling, I asked, "Have you been talking with Oldive recently? You sound like one of his healers!"

"Ever do I try to find the most efficient way to make something," he replied, grinning at me. "To ignore factors that could affect an object's design would not be…"

"Efficient?" I laughed.

"I was going to say prudent," he responded with a grin, "but, yes, efficient, too."

"With the end of Threadfall," I spoke, glancing skyward, "the Lemos region does offer one potential benefit to Pern."

"And that is?" Fandarel wanted to know.

"P.H.O.s and P.H.A.s," I replied.

"Ah, Wansor's work," Fandarel concluded, recognizing the abbreviations.

P.H.O. – potentially hazardous object. P.H.A. – potentially hazardous asteroid. These the dragonriders had experience with. The cometary fragment that had struck Pern not long ago, triggering a planetwide tsunami. Then there was the cross-reality experience with Toutatis.

"Yes," I said, nodding. "The Lemos region could be used to set up an observatory so that we can study the local solar system and see if there is any more threat from cometary debris like the last time. According to the Conservatrix, they used to do that sort of thing on Tennin before the mad Lessa of that reality engulfed their world in war. Telgar Weyr is not far from here, especially for their winged species…"

"It's also convenient to the Starcraft Hall at Telgar Hold," Fandarel observed. "And with their kind apparently able to Impress dragons, the experience of the riders at Telgar Weyr will benefit them greatly."

"If we can convince them to build a second…"

"An aerie au courant," the burly smith suggested, my eyebrows rising with surprise at his use of the French expression for a new aerie.

"Yes," I chuckled, slapping him on the back. "High in the mountains of the Eastern Barrier Range, it would give us a second location for an observatory that can scan the southern skies, the one hopefully at Telgar Weyr watching the northern skies."

"An efficient arrangement, Masterhealer," Fandarel chuckled, thumping me on the shoulder. "It would allow for the introduction of the Aviani to Pern and provide a means for them to contribute to the welfare of everyone on Pern. I approve!"

"As it was your idea, Mastersmith," I laughed, grinning at him, "would you like to present it to the Conservatrix?"

"That should best be left in the hands of the diplomats… Ambassador," Fandarel chortled, grinning broadly.

So, after dropping the Mastersmith back off at the Smithcraft Hall, I returned to Robinton Cove to discuss Fandarel's suggestion with the Aviani Conservatrix and Elli.

"So, what do you think?" I asked.

"Yes, I had been worrying about that space problem myself," Angeline remarked, rubbing her chin. "Your sky brooms, while certainly big, are nowhere near as large as the ones we had back on Tennin. And I like the idea of establishing an observatory at this Telgar Weyr. It's the sort of thing we used to do before the war. It's high enough up into the… what did you call it? Oh, yes, the Northern Barrier Range. It's high enough in altitude and latitude to offer an unobstructed view of the northern skies. Yes, I like the idea!"

"And establishing an… what did Fandarel call it?" Elli prompted me.

"An aerie au courant," I replied, using what limited French accent I had, "a new aerie."

"Establishing a second location for the Aviani gives them room to expand," Elli spoke, warming to the idea. "Kind of like Honshu Weyrhold. Far enough removed to offer them some privacy, but not so far away as to be unreachable. And, with the second observatory, we would have coverage of both the northern and southern skies!"

"It is also eminently practical and convenient for the cultural exchange center you want to establish at Landing, Ambassador," Angeline remarked, nodding her approval.

"Plus, if the Aviani need medical assistance," Elli added, grinning broadly, "Robinton Cove is just a hop, skip, and jump away. Wow, Dana! Fandarel's idea is… amazing! I love it! Why didn't we think of that?"

"Between the recent Impressions, the Skolrom crisis, and the P.U.M.A. residuals on Tennin," I chuckled, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "we've been kind of preoccupied!"

Turning to Angeline, I said, "It's your decision. You may no longer be the Conservatrix on Tennin, but you're here and your people will follow your lead. What say you?"

After a moment's thought, Angeline smiled, saying, "Go for it!"

There was nothing the Mastersmith loved more than plying his trade. No surprise then that he chose to supervise the construction of Aerie Au Courant. When he and his team were finished, he even supervised a ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by numerous dignitaries from around Pern. A good idea, I thought, since it gave some of the leadership of Pern a chance to meet the former leader of the Aviani from Tennin and to admire the incredible feat of engineering and efficiency that not only embraced Aerie Au Courant but also the new observatory that had been built. I had been worried about the xenophobic tendencies the people of Pern had shown towards those from alien races, but I was pleasantly surprised by the genuine warmness expressed to the Conservatrix and her people. It gave me hope for the future of our world.

Chapter 15 - A Sobering Gather Day (Elli's P.O.V.)

We had to think this through. The Aerie was the perfect setup for the Aviani, but what if a normal human, like Lord Groghe, for example, wanted to visit the Aviani? Dana had the perfect solution. They would build tunnels that climbed up to the aerie, so that humans could access it.

"There's a similar setup in the Weyrs," she reminded me.

I sighed and let the matter rest. Now it was time to organize a Gather to welcome the new settlers to Pern. We organized it on a day when we knew no other gathers were scheduled, so that everyone on Pern could attend. There weren't many Kendites or Aquilans living on Pern yet, but they were trying to organize parties of people to come and at least visit Pern. The Matriarch was terrified of prejudice, but I set this gather up as a test to see how prejudiced the average Pernese citizen would be.

"There're three different kinds of people when it comes to prejudice," I told her. "Those who welcome you with open arms but talk bad behind your back, those who totally avoid and shun you, and those who act out in violence against you."

"And of course there're the people who genuinely welcome you and want to be friends," said Dana. "I hope all the Pernese are like that, but I know some won't be."

"The Aviani can't teleport, but they can fly," I stated. "They'll be able to make it to this gather. Do we have the elevators set up by the way? I noticed a few mothers in Angeline's party that had hatchlings in their wings. You can't fly when you have fledglings in your wings."

"Yes," Dana reported. "Fandarel has just finally perfected them. There're two: one for the front entrance, one for the back."

"We should build them for the side entrances too," I observed.

"We're working on it," Dana patiently responded. "It's definitely more convenient to use the entrance closest to you, even if you can teleport like a dragon or Kolrom."

"We should put these in all the major and minor buildings on Pern, except the small cots. They're all one story; they don't need elevators or cable lifts."

"Patience, Elli, patience," said Dana, giving me a tsk tsk gesture with her finger. "Rome wasn't built in a day."

"Okay, okay, I'll try," I sighed, defeated. "I'm just thinking of those unfortunate people who can't walk. You can't heal a limb after it's been chopped off."

"We could use the schematic from the AIVAS files and construct scooters for those people who can't walk," Dana conceded. "Then they could use the elevators and cable lifts."

"Exactly my point!" I cried. "We should announce our ideas at the gather. Remember, my original aim in coming here was to integrate those with disabilities into our society instead of shunning them and avoiding and hating them. Now we have to do the same for the new settlers. I refuse, point blank, to call them aliens! I know that's what they are, but to them, we are the aliens. We have to be careful what we say around them. And I will not allow the Skolrom to camouflage themselves during the gather. I want them to be themselves, the way they are, because this isn't a war zone. It's a gather, and we're trying to welcome them, not shun them! I don't have to give the Aviani that warning, as their symbiotes don't have that ability. The Skolrom are so good at masking themselves, that they're always doing it. I think it'll be up to Holoo-Ro to tell them that it's okay, because he never learned to camouflage."

Just at that moment, a tall, dark young man appeared out of nowhere. He had to be about six-and-a-half feet tall, with closely cropped black hair, an aquiline nose, and beetle black eyes that shone with love and compassion like Hagrid in the Harry Potter series."

"Gelu, it's me," he said, and I recognized the voice at once.

"Holoo, how the hell did you finally master that ability?" I cried, running to wrap him up in a big bearhug. "I wish I could sweep you off your feet, but I fear it might be the other way around!"

"Seeoru's symbiote communicated with mine, and I finally mastered it today. I wanted to go to the gather in camo, but you're not allowing it."

"I want the Pernese to see you as you truly are," I said. "If they're really gonna know you and live with you, you have to be genuine. I know it's hard for you to deal with prejudice, but these are not Siloe. These are humans. Some humans can be just as evil as Siloe, but they don't have the capabilities of the Siloe. They can't vaporize you with a psychic energy bomb. This gather will also give me an opportunity to see the orphans and move them into their new home. Angeline brought a lot of her Avianic orphans, and we grabbed a whole bunch of Skolrom children, so I'm pretty sure there are some like Sonuteenu in there who already had two sets of parents."

"There're even children who've only had one set of parents but are shunned instead of adopted because their power's too strong. They're afraid those children will turn Iloe, because that's the kind who gives into the lure of the Sukhoolo berries. I learned that from telepathic communication with the refugees. I commune with them in constant conversation. I don't want them to feel abandoned because they're on that isolated island. Skolrom are used to communing with other races. I've never had the chance since my parents died in Lessa's war, but I also communicate with the Aviani on a regular basis, and they've never communicated with other races until Lessa's war. They've never even traveled in space before. They don't even know what computers are."

"Roger that," I said.

Holoo-Ro looked as though he wanted to weep, so I renewed my hug.

"What are you crying for?" I asked.

"For the plight of the refugees," he said quietly. "Just let me get all this out of my system, Gelu. Just hold me and let me weep all over you!"

I put my fledglings down on the floor where they could squirm around and play and enfolded Holoo-Ro in my wings.

"This healing will probably be temporary, as you'll see it all again, but I hope I can detach you from it enough so that you don't break down every time you have a conversation with them. You must think objectively about the situation. It didn't happen to you personally. It's okay to feel the way you do, but they need someone who can provide a comforting shoulder and a listening ear, not someone whose empathy is way out of control. It'll probably make them worse if you cry with them."

"Au contraire," he said. "It shows them I care. And it's not what they say that makes me cry; it's the images they project. When they project images, it's like you were there. It actually happened to you, and I did learn how to shield, but I feel ashamed to do so because I'm their beacon. Seeoru shields, and she yells at me for not doing so, but if I do, then I'm no better than the Siloe because I don't feel what they felt."

"I'm the same way, my Holoo, I'm exactly the same. Just keep coming to me for healing then. You know I love doing it anyway."

I smiled indulgently up at my son.

Two hours later, he was ready and raring to go again. The tears had done him good, and he was ready to party. Gather preparations had to be forestalled because I was the one who was setting it up, and I had been indisposed during Holoo-Ro's healing. Dana had left to check on her patients and see how the Landing site was going, but she was back now.

The Gather was scheduled for tomorrow, and people were already arriving early because they had come from a long distance. There were sleds parked in strategic places throughout the cove, so no one could bump into or steal them, unfamiliar dragons lounged around on the sand or swam in the cove waters with the dolphins. They were also invited to this Gather, because they were an intelligent species as well, and there were still those on Pern who could not believe that shipfish were actually intelligent beings who had the capability of speech.

I couldn't sleep that night. Once again, I checked the list of people who had accepted my invitation on Facebook to come to this all-important Gather. The list of accepts was staggering! We were working our asses off to provide enough food for everyone. Everyone was eager to show off Pern's magnificence to these new settlers. They hadn't done it for the Aquilans and Kendites, because their parties were so small, but now we had a chance to share our old customs and new ideas. This Gather would be like no other Gather, but we hoped it'd set a precedent for many to come. The Starworld had many of these Gathers to welcome new races on Pern, and now it was our turn. I noticed that the Skolrom and the Aviani were quite apprehensive about the upcoming Gather, and because of that, I was too. Would they be accepted? Would they be shunned? Would there be violence against them?

I tossed and turned so much that it disturbed G'narish and our hatchlings. Nobody slept that night. From inadvertent telepathic images I was receiving throughout the night, none of my Pernese family slept. They were all awake, thinking of what might go wrong during this Gather.

"Go to sleep, little one," Chlorith rumbled from her weyr. "You'll be cranky if you don't sleep, and we don't need that at a Gather, especially this one."

"I know, but I can't sleep," I replied.

"Come to me, sweetheart, and you'll sleep much better."

I got out of bed and went to snuggle with Chlorith. She enfolded me in her forelegs and began to sing "Keymon's Song". I was asleep before she finished the first verse.

The next day, we were drowsy as we put up the Gather tents. People came in droves, either via sleds, runnerbeasts, or dragons. All of them wanted to look at the foreigners, who became uncomfortable with the stares they met as they walked through the Gather square. I sent out a telepathic broadcast reminding them that they had never seen aliens before and they were gonna do that because they were curious but afraid to ask questions. They were afraid of spreading their powers. They were afraid they could make up P.E.B.'s and kill them all like the Siloe or the mad Lessa. I thought privately that there was a lot of PTSD going on, and that I would have to address it really soon.

"By the first shell, guys, knock it off!" I finally cried. "These people have just been through war! They don't need you staring at them! Why don't you try talking to them? Ask them questions. Just talk to them like normal people."

I had to address several people like that until a wagon approached. Lying in the wagon was a little child with so many deformities I couldn't tell what species it was. I was guessing at human though.

"She got run over by a wagon with three burdenbeasts pulling it," said the driver. "I don't know if she's gonna pull through. Could one of you use your protocols or whatever they're called to heal her? She's my daughter, and she's only two. She got caught up in the lead rope and fell over. The beasts spooked and they dragged her."

We'll see what we can do for her," I said. "But I'm the mental health specialist, not the physical one. Dana's Masterhealer. She'll see what she can do."

Before I could call out to her, a timid voice spoke up.

"I'm a healer. Let me see what I can do."

A Kolrom girl stepped up to the wagon.

"The images I'm receiving are horrible! I have to do something. I can't just stand there and watch her suffer."

"What is your name?" I asked the child.

"Luronu," she replied. "I watched so much of it during the war that I attempted suicide. Many of my race succeeded in their attempts. They were so depressed by the carnage and no one coming to help us."

The child began to weep in that shaky crooning/wailing style all Kolrom seemed to have. Her whole body convulsed with the force of her croons.

"There, there, child, it's okay now. Don't cry," said the driver. "The war's over and you survived. That's something to be grateful for, isn't it?"

"But most of us did not survive!" she sobbed. "How can I be grateful when my whole family was vaporized by a P.E.B. before my eyes?"

"What's a P.E.B.?" asked the driver.

"Psychic Energy Bomb," I told him as Luronu's croons would no longer permit her to speak.

"They can kill with their minds?!"

Now the driver was apprehensive.

"The Skolrom would never do it, but the Siloe use P.E.B.'s as their primary weapons."

I briefly explained the differences between the Skolrom and the Siloe, and he began to relax, but he also stared shamelessly in wonder as I enfolded Luronu in my wings and healed her from her PTSD.

"Now you can heal Calandria," said the driver.

Luronu got into the wagon and knelt down by the weeping child. She ran her hands up and down the child's body. It was a miracle to watch as limbs untwisted, her head unwrinkled, and her eyes popped back into their sockets. Lying there now was a happy, healthy two-year-old.

"Aviani can do that too," I said, "but they have to use their wings."

"We couldn't have cured that with one quick surgery," Dana said.

She'd been watching from afar, pretending to be interested in the merchandise in the Gather stall in front of her.

"As long as they're still alive, I can heal them," Luronu said. "My parents died in the war, but no one wants me because I'm too strong of an empath. I can shield from telepathic conversations, but when it comes to emotions, I can't shield at all."

"You're like my Holoo-Ro," I gently spoke. "How old are you?"

"12," she replied.

"I'm debating on whether to put you in the orphanage or keep you with me. I have a soft spot for children, and you're still a child, despite the fact that you've reached your physical maturity. You may lay eggs, but you're still emotionally young. You can't fend for yourself yet. I'm building an orphanage for the Kolrom and Avianic children who have lost their parents. It's my way of taking care of them all. Would you like to stay there? The building's almost complete. Or would you rather stay with me? I'm expanding my house because of my transformation, because if G'narish continues to have sex with me, I'll be clutching children once a month! I don't know if I'll be able to handle that many! Thank God it takes a village to raise a child."

"And yet you want to keep me?" Luronu's voice was filled with incredulous joy.

"It's your choice. Either way, you'll still see me a lot!"

"I want a Gelu, not a boss," Luronu said. "I need someone to hold me when I weep, to dry my tears, to make me laugh, to heal me."

"I would do all of that, regardless of whether you were my daughter or my charge at the orphanage," I told her. "I would be your guardian either way."

"I still want a Gelu!" she cried, prostrating herself at my feet.

It was then I realized she had imprinted on me, just like Holoo-Ro and Sonuteenu. I had to keep her as my daughter. I had made my imprint on her as well.

"Dana's gonna kill me!" I cried, grinning.

"More like G'narish is gonna kill you!" G'narish laughed through his joyous tears.

He scooped the trembling Luronu up in his arms and held her in a big bearhug. "Welcome home, Lory. Welcome to Pern."

Following the former Weyrleader's example, all the people began to mill with the Skolrom. They steered clear of the Aviani, which made me sad. They had similar circumstances to the Skolrom. They weren't gonna hurt anybody, but they saw the wings and gave them a wide birth.

"People, please!" I begged finally, after watching several Avianic children break down because they weren't being included in the Gather games. "Am I gonna hurt you? These people just went through a war, too! All they want is love and understanding. So what if they have wings? They're still humanoids. They're sentient beings like you and me, and it hurts them not to be included in things. When I first transformed, you didn't look at me like I was a freak. You saw me for who I was. Can't you do that for these people too?"

Chlorith bugled from the heights, which stopped all activity.

"These so-called aliens are no different from you! A few of them have Impressed dragons! Look."

She suddenly swooped down into the crowd. She flew right to me, opened her claws, and scratched me on the arm. Blood coated my feathers.

"What color is the blood?" she demanded.

"It's red!" called a child from the bubbly pie stall.

Chlorith suddenly turned on Luronu, opening her claws, and scratching her arm. Blood oozed down her arm as she cringed away, terrified.

"What color is that?" Chlorith demanded again.

"It's red!" G'narish cried as she suddenly swooped down on him and scratched him down his arm.

Red blood oozed down his arm as well.

"What color is that?" she demanded in a stentorian voice.

"It's red!" I shouted, finally realizing what she was getting at.

"All red!" she boomed. "They're all of humanoid races. They have some of the same DNA as you do. Why can't you treat them like equals? They have feelings too. They react to their feelings the same way as you do. They laugh, they weep, they smile, they frown, just like you! You accepted the Skolrom, why not the Aviani? All they want is to be wanted!"

And Chlorith began to keen… such a heartfelt, heart-wrenching sound that all the people of Pern began to silently weep. I swept G'narish in my arms in a big bearhug. I could feel his whole body trembling with the force of his. silent sobs. I released him and reached for Luronu, who was no longer afraid of Chlorith for the lessons she had just taught us. I reached out with my mind for Tiffany. I gave her a mental bearhug as she and D'nag wept together. I reached out to all the refugees with my mind and included them all, Avianis and Kolrom alike, in a big group hug. I hadn't envisioned tears at this Gather, but we had all learned a lesson we were never likely to forget. I no longer had to worry about any prejudice on Pern. We would have to deal with other races in the FSP, so we might as well start now.

Chapter 16 – An Invasive Species (Dana's P.O.V.)

As part of the Gather celebration welcoming the Aviani to their Aerie Au Courant, the Harper Hall brought a sizeable contingent of musicians and performers to help with the entertainment. The highlight of the performances was "Keymon's Song", aided by those who had brought fire lizards and with the resonating help of all the dragons in attendance.

At the insistence of Master Domick, the orchestra director, I was inveigled into performing as the lead singer, a substantial choral group providing inspired support. The song proved its universal appeal, many of the fire lizards, including my own Goldie and Master Fandarel's Rascal joining me on stage. All around us, high on the cliffs that surrounded the Aerie, the dragons added their voices to the performance. The moment they all joined in, the dreamlike state of the song swept outwards through the crowd, eliciting many gasps of astonishment from all parties… human, Skolrom, and Aviani alike. Such a profound silence followed the end of the song I began to worry. But it was only the shock of the performance wearing off. The cheers and applause that followed were generous and heart-felt!

"Stars above!" Angeline gasped as I rejoined the crowd.

"Trust me, Conservatrix," Key spoke, nodding to her, "Dav and I were just as surprised when we heard it for the first time!"

"Man, you got that right!" Dav chimed in, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oddly enough, Conservatrix," Sebell said, nodding my way, "Dana is still the only one who can sing the song AND trigger the dreamlike state it produces!"

"The only one?!" Angeline gasped.

I nodded. "Consensus seems to lean towards my latent esper talents being the catalyst."

"It was beautiful!" Merlea wept, hugging Dav's arm.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" Sheena complained, frowning at Key.

Chuckling, he reached over, giving her a hug. "My love, how does one explain the inexplicable?"

Glancing over at me, he added, "Who would've thought a song about our home world would have such an impact on another?"

"Did you notice Angeleth singing along?" Elli chimed in, nodding to the dragons gathered around her. "She had as much fun with the song as all the other dragons!"

"I still find it hard to fathom why she chose me," Angeline whispered, sending a mental caress to her golden lifemate.

"What's important is that she did choose you," Lessa spoke, joining our little group. "Had she found no one to Impress, she would've gone _between_, ending her life. So we are grateful to you for being there to save her life."

"Just one more example of how our different species can get along with each other," Elli asserted, gesturing at the others in attendance.

As there was no longer Threadfall to urge people to head for home, the Gather and the lights went on well into the night. Most of the attendees spent the night at the Aerie, enjoying the amenities Fandarel had built into the Aviani's new home. But, by morning, all made their apologies and gave thanks to their hosts before wending the way to their respective homes.

Back at my quarters at Robinton Cove, life went on its merry way. L'trel doted on our daughter, Zia, and I did my level best to be the mother Zeeu had chosen. But, though young, Zeeu could sense I was troubled by something.

"Mama?" Zeeu was shaking my shoulder, trying to get my attention. "Mama, what's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, precious," I sighed, rubbing my eyes before meeting her gaze. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Is something wrong?" she asked, giving my arm a hug.

"I'm not sure, honey," I replied, shaking my head. "It's something Aunt Elli said. It may be nothing."

"If it was," Zeeu responded, peering intently at me, "you wouldn't be worried. Please, you saved my life. You can talk to me."

Sighing, I gave her hand a squeeze before saying, "I'm worried we may have introduced an invasive species to Pern by bringing the Aviani here."

"What do you mean?" Zeeu wondered. "What's an invasive species?"

"Have a seat, sweetie," I directed, pointing to the couch next to me. "This could take a while to explain."

Zeeu plopped down next to me, slipping her arm around mine.

"Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world that don't belong in their new environment," I explained. "On Earth, especially from the 21st century that Aunt Elli came from, an invasive species can be introduced to an area by ship ballast water, accidental release, and most often, by people. Invasive species can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals, destroy biodiversity, and permanently alter habitats."

"But why would they do that?" Zeeu wondered. "We're all living beings, aren't we?"

I nodded. "Nature, no matter what world you come from, tries to maintain balance in the ecosystems of each world."

"I don't understand," Zeeu complained.

"It refers to predators and prey, sweetie," I went on, patting her hand. "Natural checks and balances on the lifeforms on each world. But if you move a species to a new environment where there are no natural checks and balances on their growth, they can easily multiply out of control, destroying the environment and the creatures that depend on it."

"But the Aviani are gentle creatures!" Zeeu argued.

"Yes, they are, sweetling," I had to admit, giving her a hug. "It was what Aunt Elli said, describing her current rate of clutching and the number involved. If we use her as an example, assuming she gives birth to twelve new hatchlings each month, in less than a Turn she would have over 140 children, all of them needing food to survive."

Zeeu gasped, glimpsing the truth. "With all the Aviani now here, in almost no time, we could run out of food!"

A tear sliding down my cheek, I nodded. "You are a remarkable child, Zeeu. I pray I'm wrong about this."

"And if you're not?"

I didn't answer, bringing more tears to Zeeu's eyes.

I needed more information about the Aviani to get a grip on my concern. So, it was no surprise that Tarnaa and I sought out the best source of info on hand… the Conservatrix Angeline. What was surprising, at least for me, was Zeeu's insistence on coming along.

"How is Angeleth doing?" I asked, Zeeu and I joining Angeline on the beach near the hospital, her golden lifemate gamboling in the waves nearby with the dolphins from Robinton Cove.

Tarnaa, meanwhile, chose to join her fellow dragon in the water, the two splashing noisily as they played together.

"She is a remarkable being," Angeline sighed, love for her lifemate evident in every syllable. Glancing at our anxious expressions, she added, "But I can tell this isn't a social visit."

Heaving a heavy sigh, I nodded, getting right to the reason for our visit. When I finished explaining my concerns, Angeline grew unexpectedly silent.

"Conservatrix, I…"

She raised her hand, cutting me off mid-sentence.

"It never occurred to me," Angeline quietly muttered, shaking her head.

"What didn't?" Zeeu wondered, daringly taking one of Angeline's hands.

"We don't possess the advanced science and technology of your world, child," Angeline spoke, patting Zeeu's hand. "Ours is, by all rights, a very primitive society. Our birth rates were so high back on Tennin because our children have such a high mortality rate."

"What?!" Zeeu gasped, tears filling her eyes.

"What were the causes?" I asked into the silence.

"The occasional fall from the nest," Angeline replied, her own tears falling. "But mostly due to the one thing we couldn't fight."

"Sickness," I concluded.

Angeline nodded.

"The checks and balances you mentioned, child," she said, looking directly at me. "The diseases our race suffered from kept our population in check, so that we didn't overwhelm our environment."

"Diseases that are non-existent here on Pern," Zeeu wept, clutching the Conservatrix arm tightly. Peering desperately up at me, she asked, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

She gasped, seeing a possibility. "What you used to heal me!"

"Zeeu, I…"

"You know the Eridani protocols!" she wailed, clinging to the Conservatrix. "Isn't there some way you can help the Aviani?"

"The Eridani?" Angeline pondered. "I heard them mentioned before. Who are they? How could they help with this?"

I did my best to explain the Eridani to Angeline, a being from a world and a reality where the Eridani apparently didn't exist. I couldn't help wondering what had caused that divergence between the realities.

"Can you help us?" Angeline whispered, her dragon trundling over, drawn by her lifemate's worry.

"I think so," I replied, my expression grim as Tarnaa joined our group. "The key seems to be the diseases from your world acting to prevent your population from exploding out of control."

"Those diseases don't exist here," Angeline said. "I heard that from your healer-riders during our quarantine."

She gasped, turning white as a sheet, even under her feathers. "You can't be serious! You have no idea what that would do to Pern!"

"I wasn't thinking of reintroducing the pathogens from your world, Conservatrix," I said, shaking my head. "The most logical remedy for your people here on Pern…"

"Is reducing their birth rates," Angeline whispered, her hand gently caressing her abdomen.

"What?!" Zeeu gasped, her own face turning white.

Reluctantly, with a heavy sigh, I nodded. "It's the only way."

"Now I understand why you were worried about bringing the Aviani here, lifemate," Tarnaa spoke aloud as she gently nuzzled Angeline's tear-lined face.

"Would it hurt?" Angeleth wondered, shoving her head under Angeline's arm, doing her best not to damage her rider's fragile wings.

"Physically, no," I replied. "The pain would be more psychological, a drastic change from the lives her people have lived until now."

"Well, you can count on my help there," Elli called out, joining our group, Chlorith right behind.

"It would also affect you, too, Elli," I whispered, drawing a startled gasp from her. "We would have to perform the same adjustment on you, since you are a human-Avianis hybrid."

Tears welled up in both our eyes as I gave Elli a comforting hug.

"I know how much you like children, El," I softly told her. "This won't affect the Aviani children you have now…"

"Just how many I could conceive in the future," she muttered, meeting my gaze.

"It's the only way I can think of to keep our Aviani friends from turning into an invasive species," I muttered, shaking my head, "their very existence posing a threat to the rest of Pern."

"Oh, fucking hell!" Elli cursed, kicking the dirt. "Tiffany, too!"

Again, I nodded.

"What about Tiffany?" a familiar voice demanded as she and Rollith joined the conversation.

"You better tell her," I told Elli, turning her in the direction of her twin.

"But…"

"It has to be you, Aunt Elli," Zeeu urged, giving her arm a reassuring hug and a smile.

With a heavy sigh, Elli reluctantly nodded.

Tiffany, at first, exploded with rage. She loved her Aviani children as much as Elli loved hers. It took a while to calm Tiffany down and explain the necessity.

"Even the children?" she muttered, her own tears falling.

Reluctantly, I nodded. "On Pern, Tiff, they have no known agents to keep their population under control."

"It's kind of like the old spay/neuter process they used to use on the feral cat colonies back on Earth," Elli reluctantly admitted. "Same idea. No natural controls to limit the birth rates, so humans had to step in before the colony populations got out of control."

"All we'll be doing, Elli," I told her, "is reducing how many eggs can be conceived. Other than that, the Aviani would live perfectly normal lives."

"We are trying to find ways to include all races here on Pern," I said to the group in general. "We don't want to create prejudice simply because one race puts a sudden demand on resources another race here might also need. As much as it pains me to have to do it, it's either this… or we send the Aviani back to Tennin to fend for themselves."

Reluctantly, everyone nodded, including Elli and Tiffany.

"We'd better get started, then," Elli muttered.

"The sooner, the better," Rollith agreed.

As we headed over to the hospital to begin laying out the Eridani protocols that would be required, I couldn't help wondering how Concordantrix Zigrill would feel about what we were planning to do.

As if in reply, for a single heartbeat, Time froze around us… just like the last time she appeared to me. And, just like the last time, she was smiling, giving me a hug as well.

"Let your mind be at peace, child," she spoke, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek. "You will need all your focus for what lies before you. Know that I am proud of you, your restraint in the use of your gift, and of what you have accomplished so far! I have no doubt you will not disappoint me!"

With that, she faded from sight and Time once more moved forward, the others unaware of the private experience.

"I won't fail you, teacher," I quietly whispered as we passed through the hospital doors.

Chapter 17 – Aftereffects (Elli's P.O.V.)

The aftereffects of the Eridani protocol Dana had installed in all female Aviani were not completely realized for a month. G'narish and I had had sex the day after it was performed, and I had no idea what was going to happen. As I lay in bed, preparing to clutch a third time, I felt cramps, but not as bad as they were for my first two clutches. I didn't even realize I was laying eggs until I felt one slide out of me. G'narish caught it in his hand as he stood at the foot of the bed. I started pushing in earnest, but only five more eggs slid out.

"Six?" I cried. "Is that all I'm gonna have from now on?"

"She's cutting the population in half!" G'narish thundered. "What did she do to you?"

"Only what was necessary," I told him. "At least I'll be able to keep better track of them. My first two clutches are not even a Turn old yet."

"The first one will be soon," G'narish said proudly.

But I could tell something was bothering him deeply, something he refused to voice aloud or broadcast. I knew I had to get it out of him or else he'd explode.

"What's eating you, Nari?" I asked gently.

"Nari" was the name I used when we were being private.

"I don't want to talk about it," G'narish said, clamming up at once.

"Come on, Nari," I pleaded. "You need to talk about it. Otherwise it'll fester until it erupts out of you like Mount Garben and Picchu did when the Settlers were forced to evacuate the Southern Continent."

"I can't do it," he whispered. "If I do, I'll be the talk of the planet. I was once a Weyrleader. Weyrleaders can't do something as radical as that."

"F'lar sure made a lot of radical changes," I protested. "You can, too."

"I want to be like you!" he suddenly burst out. "I want our children to be purebreds."

"Even if you transform, there'll still be some human traits in our future children," I said. "We weren't born Avianis."

"But at least they won't be half-breeds. I don't want them to be made fun of because one parent's human and the other's Avianis."

"There'll probably be more pairings like that for both species," I commented.

"I want to fly with you. I want to do that dance I've seen the other couples do."

"I can hold you in my arms while I fly," I remarked. "I've done that several times with you now that all the children can spend time on the floor."

"But we'd be stronger if we could both fly," G'narish argued. "Please, Elli, do this for me! You've made your point when you said F'lar made radical changes. It's time for me to do the same thing. I want to be with my true love, my life mate! You didn't replace Nadira, but you filled the void she left behind when she died. I still grieve for her, don't get me wrong, but you showed me a whole new avenue of life that I could live. Now I feel left out whenever you do things with our children."

"What about our human children?" I argued. "We have Seska, Calentia, Raeana, Ariana, Oriana, the triplets, Andres, Gabriel, Linda, Paul, and Ezra. What're they gonna do if their father transforms? My transformation was a complete accident, and they were all shocked by it. The younger ones didn't even recognize me at first."

"They're all older now," G'narish begged, "and I can't properly imprint on my fledglings when I'm fully human."

He had a point there. All the hatchlings clung to me, but barely noticed their father. I knew how involved he wanted to be in the lives of all his children. He could still be involved in the humans' lives if he turned Avianis. But what would the average Pernese citizen say? He was an Oldtimer, but he followed Benden's ways, but he never brought on radical changes himself like D'ram had. What would the people say if he went ahead and made this transformation? I could sense his fear, but I could also sense his longing, and from where I was standing, it looked as though the longing was about to win the war. He gazed at me, silent tears flooding down his cheeks.

"Please!" he whispered, not trusting his voice.

"All right," I gave in. "We'll go to Dana, because I know she'll do it right. I don't trust myself to make the transformation complete."

"I know you can do it, El-bell." He was using his private nickname for me. "Try, sparkle. Spread your wings and fly."

I took a deep breath. I'd do anything to dry those tears and get that puppy-dog pleading look off his face. I took another deep breath.

"What I'm about to do is purely unethical," I said, taking another deep breath.

"Don't be afraid, precious," he chided me gently. "I can sense your fear, and that's always what causes you to make mistakes."

_I know_, I said telepathically, _but I've never done this before. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing._

_You are, my precious_, he replied. _You haven't even started yet, and you're already doubting yourself. You need to stop that and just do it._

I took another deep, shuddering breath and began the protocol. First, I put G'narish to sleep so he wouldn't feel anything. Then I began to manipulate his genetic code. I had no idea what I was doing, but I imagined G'narish as an Avianis as I worked. Gradually, the hair on his body turned to feathers, and wings began to grow out of his shoulders. I read his body temperature. It was dropping fast. I took my own temperature. It was somewhere in the 80s. Birds' body temperatures were naturally colder than humans, so it stood to reason that the Aviani's temperatures would also be colder.

_No more swimming with the dolphins for you, Narish,_ I pathed to his still slumbering form.

I had had to take off his clothes so that the feathers would grow on his body. He was now a rather handsome Avianis, with black feathers instead of hair. His eyes were still dark and almond-shaped. His face was still normal, except that there was no hair on it. No feathers grew on the Avianic face. The face was completely humanoid. I enfolded the new G'narish in my wings and held him tight until he woke up. He was disoriented and dizzy.

"Where am I?" he muttered.

"You're home, Nari," I said. "The transformation is complete. Why don't we walk to the mirror and take a look at yourself."

I supported him to the mirror, and he gasped at the sight of himself with feathers growing all over his body.

"I'm beautiful!" G'narish cried, extending his new wings and flapping them experimentally.

"Dana's gonna kill us!" I said.

Now I was afraid of someone getting mad at me, especially since she had every right to be so. I had used the Eridani protocols because someone had desired it, not because someone had needed it. It hadn't been any kind of emergency.

"Oh great, here she comes!"

I began to shake uncontrollably. Not only was Dana outside our door, but Raeana, Seska, Calentia Ariana, Oriana, the triplets, Tiffany, D'nag, Ryeena, Kara, Ky, Lara, Moreta, and A'dan, and M'chael.

"What's going on?" Dana demanded. "Who just used an Eridani protocol?"

_I'll cover for you,_ G'narish silently spoke.

"I did," he said aloud. "I needed to be like my Avianic life mate."

"You can't use Eridani protocols on yourself," Dana scoffed. "Was anybody helping you?"

I was about to admit the truth, but 'Narish shook his head.

"Did a puma attack you?" asked Tiffany.

"No, I did it myself." G'narish insisted.

"No, you didn't," I cried. "Dana, I did it. He was weeping and begging so hard, I just had to get that puppy-dog look off his face. I was afraid. I thought I'd do something wrong, but all I really had to do was imagine him as an Avianis. I know nothing about the genetic code, but I did know what they're supposed to look like."

The look on Dana's face was worthy of F-Lessa. There was a definite volcano smoking in her eyes, and it was about to erupt. I braced myself for the worst. Was she gonna use the same Eridani protocol she'd used on F-Lessa? She must've sensed my fear because she replaced the volcano in her eyes with a mountain of love and understanding.

"I could sense that he felt left out because he couldn't imprint on his children," Dana spoke quietly. "I don't know if Zigrill would've said the same thing, but I think you were justified in your actions. I would not, however, sanction you transforming your human children to match your Avianic hybrids."

"I'm sure D'nag would want to make this transformation, too."

"I want my brother or my Weyrmate to do it," he said. "I've never had children before, so I want to really experience fatherhood and be involved with them as much as possible. I can't seem to be involved with our first two clutches because they can't imprint on me the way they do with Tiffany."

"I've never done this before in my life!" Tiffany complained. "I don't know anything about the genetic code. I don't know what I'm doing."

"Take my hand and we'll do it together," G'narish said comfortingly.

He directed D'nag to lie down on the living room couch. I could sense Dana's presence, because she was afraid the two amateurs would do something wrong. She guided them through the transformation, and when it was complete, they woke him up. The two brothers tested out their new abilities by scooping up their two clutches of children and enfolding them in their wings. The looks on their faces and the tears rolling down their cheeks said it all. They were experiencing imprinting for the first time in their lives. It was akin to, but not quite as glorious as, Impression.

_Gyarmath, Claranth, you should share this moment with your riders_, I silently pathed.

I could feel the dragons responding as I stepped back and let them have this moment. It took a major burden off my shoulders. Now I could do whatever I needed to do without 24 hatchlings underfoot. G'narish could take them for me if I had to heal someone, and I could take them if he needed to do something for the hospital or orphanage. The latter was coming on strong. I was there more often than I was at the hospital. I still had patients, but not as many as I used to have. The riders from the Starworld were now on good cocktails of medicine so they could control themselves. Either that, or they had been healed by Skolrom or humans with Kolrom powers. None of the Aviani wanted anything to do with them. They were terrified of them. Many of them had been forced to hurt or kill Aviani, so their fears were not groundless. Unlike the Skolrom, you didn't automatically get Avianic abilities by mental contact, so the riders couldn't reassure them or apologize to them. This depressed them to no end. I knew I had to do something drastic. We didn't need dragons and riders suiciding because they couldn't reach out and beg for forgiveness.

The very next day, the whole hospital and orphanage staff appeared at the Aerie Au Courant. When I told them what we were there for, the Aviani clamored to be healed. Nobody likes to be afraid, and the Aviani were no exceptions to that rule. One by one, I enfolded men, women, and children in my wings so I could give them reassurance that they were safe, and all these riders wanted to do was apologize for their part in F-Lessa's war.

"But they hurt me!" was a popular comment. Another one was, "They killed someone or other!" They had never fought a war in their long history. They had no idea what war was. They didn't even have a chirping sequence for it. They had only learned English because of the war. They could get your language right out of your head just by that first mental contact. The Skolrom could do the same thing. The Avianic language was not spoken but chirped. It consisted of whistling sequences and trills, like those of a bird, but more complex.

I used that language now, for the first time in my life, to reassure the frightened Aviani. I even whistled a little tune, trying to comfort them and take their fear away. All the riders of the Starworld skulked in the shadows, ready to come out when I gave the signal. Then, one by one, the riders took Aviani in their arms. Tears fell and love radiated through the great hall.

"What that mad woman did was unforgivable!" the former Conservatrix said, "but you were all unwilling participants. You had no choice in the matter. We all forgive you. Right, everyone?"

"Right!" all the Aviani chirruped in unison.

They could live on Pern now in peace, no more worrying about who was going to hurt them, and who they could trust. They could trust anyone here. They were safe now, and that was all that mattered.

Chapter 18 – The Grim Truth (Dana's P.O.V.)

Work on the embassy complex was proceeding apace. I stopped by to see how things were going.

"Hey, Skipper!" Dav greeted me as I walked through the front door.

The place was a hive of activity, technicians of all sorts hurrying about, getting all the equipment the Embassy would need ready.

"Where's Merlea?" I wondered, glancing about. "She isn't with you?"

"Nah," Dav chuckled, waving my concern aside. "She's over at the AIVAS facility going over the historical vids of the colonists' arrival."

"Including the Threadfall records?" I nervously inquired.

Dav nodded. "She's got a better handle on her stomach now since the first viewing. She'll be fine."

"Sheena?" I asked, turning to Key.

"Visiting the hospital facility at your Robinton Cove, ch'hin," he replied, smiling. "She has always professed an interest in the healing arts. Now that your people have been given the Eridani protocols, her interest has grown stronger. She's even hinted at asking you to offer her some training to advance her own healing knowledge."

"I see," I remarked.

"Skipper, what's wrong?" Dav asked, noting my distraction.

"You do seem preoccupied, ch'hin," Key spoke, coming up beside Dav. "What troubles you?"

Heaving a heavy sigh, I admitted, "The Aviani."

"I thought you had resolved that problem," Dav said, hand on hip, "when you redid their DNA using the Eridani protocols."

"I did," I muttered, shaking my head, "but I don't think they completely understand how drastic a change it meant."

Glancing about him, Key took my arm and led me into an interior office, Dav right behind. Shutting the door, he led me over to a chair and bade me sit down. Then he and Dav pulled their own chairs over, the three of us forming a circle.

"What did you do?" Key asked.

"Reduced the frequency of their reproductive periods," I wept, a tear sliding down my cheek, "as well as the number they could conceive."

"Why?" Dav asked.

"I heard from Elli that the Aviani could lay eggs for nearly a century," I explained.

"Is that possible?!" Key gasped, clearly surprised.

"For them, yes," I admitted. "I verified it with the med scans we have on the Aviani."

"By the sacred waters!" Dav hissed, his neck gill slits noticeably flared.

"It's because of the environment they came from on their native planet," I went on.

"Tennin," Key replied.

I nodded. "In order to survive such a harsh environment, they had to breed often and for long periods of time."

"But they no longer have that sort of environmental pressure here, do they?" Dav asked.

I shook my head. "Let's use Elli's current clutching pattern as a reference. She laid two clutches over a two-month period, twelve eggs per clutch."

"Twenty four children in just two months?!" Dav gasped.

I nodded. "Her most recent clutch was only six…"

"The one following the Eridani procedure, yes?" Key wondered.

Again, I nodded. "Let's say we use that six-egg clutch as a benchmark and kept to her previous pattern of clutching once a month. In a year's time, that would be 72 eggs… 72 children to raise."

"That's one hell of a handful, Skipper," Dav muttered, shaking his head.

"Now, for the sake of maintaining genetic diversity and the problems associated with inbreeding," I went on, "let's say hypothetically that a second Aviani pair has followed the same clutching pattern, producing an additional 72 children in a single year."

"That's a lot of mouths to feed," Key remarked.

"Now, let's say for the sake of balance, the genders among the children are evenly split," I went on, "half male, half female. When those children reach sexual maturity and begin to reproduce, assuming the same clutching results as the parents, that's 72 parents producing 72 children each, for a total result of 5184 children. Now repeat that same pattern, same balance of male and female children. That gives us 2,592 mating pairs producing 72 kids each for a total of 186,624 children!"

"And that's after only three reproductive cycles!" Moreta remarked, entering the room.

"Guys, allow me to present Moreta," I said, gesturing for her to pull a chair over and join us. "She's been a big help to me at the hospital."

"A pleasure to meet you, citizen," Dav responded, nodding to her.

"It gets worse, doesn't it, Dana?" she asked, having straddled her seat backwards, her arms leaning on the backrest.

Grimly, I nodded. "Without the natural controls of their home planet, Tennin, we were facing an exponential explosion of the Aviani population here on Pern."

"Exponential?!" Dav gasped, his eyes bugging out.

"That 186,624 children from the third cycle?" I responded, pulling up the calculation results on my wrist computer. "If it followed the same pattern as the first two, the end result of that fourth reproductive cycle would've generated 6,718,464 offspring."

"By the First Egg!" Moreta hissed, her own eyes bugging out.

"At the end of the fifth Aviani cycle," I muttered, shaking my head, "we would've had 241,864,704 children. By the end of the sixth cycle, there would be 8,707,129,344 mouths to feed. According to the old Earth records AIVAS had of the time Elli came from, that would've been more Aviani children here on Pern than the entire human population of 21st century Earth!"

"By the Fire Falls of Firlea!" Key hissed.

"One more reproductive cycle beyond that and Pern would become untenable… for everyone!" I wept. "That's why I had to invoke the Eridani protocols…"

"To prevent the destruction of Pern," F'lar spoke, entering through a side door, Lessa right behind him. "Sorry, I hadn't meant to eavesdrop."

"You're certain of your calculations, Dana?" Lessa asked, kneeling beside me.

Grimly, I nodded. "And those results are for only one Turn of reproduction for each group. If they reproduced more than just the one Turn, the results would be nothing short of… well, I think you get the picture."

"Does anyone know the extent of the changes you made?" Key asked.

I nodded. "The Conservatrix. I explained the entire process to her. As of this moment, the Aviani reproductive process is essentially the same as humans… ovulation once every 28 days. If successfully fertilized, a single egg laid after approximately 90 days. The major difference is that the resultant egg will be larger, closer to the size of an Earth ostrich egg."

"Ostrich, you say?" Moreta mused, rubbing her chin. "I seem to recall seeing that in one of AIVAS' teaching vids. About the size of a female's hand, like a fire-lizard's egg!"

Grinning at the Pernese comparison, I nodded. "The rapid growth of the hatchling will follow the current Aviani pattern. Other than the reduction in their reproductive rates, they'll stick to all the other Aviani norms."

"Including Elli and G'narish?" F'lar asked.

"You heard about that?" I groaned.

"How could we not know?" Lessa chuckled, laying a hand on the side of her head. "Every dragon on Pern has been yammering about it day and night!"

"What will you do about it?" Moreta wondered, concerned about the breach of trust and protocol that it represented.

"Not a thing," I finally sighed, meeting her gaze.

"But, ch'hin…" Key began.

"Above all else, I am a healer," I told everyone in the room, "dedicated to my craft and Hall."

"Yeah, you've demonstrated that more than once, Masterhealer!" Lessa chuckled.

"G'narish chose to have it done to more closely bond with his Aviani fledglings," I said, my gaze sweeping the room. "Elli's transformation came about because of that P.U.M.A. attack, so she really didn't have much of a say in what she turned into."

"Just like her twin, Tiffany," Moreta commented, nodding. "Her bond with D'nag must've been exceptionally strong for him to want to undergo the transformation, too."

"Their unique points of view as both human and Aviani could end up working to our advantage," I said, my expression hopeful as I looked around the room.

"As we try to open up relations with the FSP," Key concluded, smiling.

"You can count on us, Skipper," Dav chimed in, grinning.

"F'lar? Lessa?" I asked, turning their way.

"Ever since you arrived on Pern, Dana," Lessa chuckled, "your sole interest has been to guarantee our survival. Don't worry. We have your back!"

A solitary tear slid down my cheek as I nodded, grateful for the support I was receiving. As the representative of the Aviani, I had imposed on the Conservatrix herself to explain everything to Elli, G'narish, Tiffany, and D'nag. As much as Elli loved children, I was praying she would understand.

"I better let you guys get back to work, Dav, Key," I said, rising from my chair.

"Don't worry, Dana," Lessa assured me. "We'll get the word out to the weyrs."

"I'll stop by the Harper Hall to keep Sebell in the loop, too," F'lar offered as we headed out the door.

As I watched my friends heading off on their tasks, I heard a familiar voice call out, "Mama!"

"Zeeu!" I called out, waving as she approached.

She wasn't alone, either. Little Mia rode astride Zeeu's shoulder, but I was staring at the two small Aviani children Zeeu was hand-in-hand with.

"Now, who are these?" I asked, kneeling as the quartet stopped in front of me.

"I don't know," Zeeu confessed, glancing from one child to the other. "They say no one ever gave them a name!"

Only way I could think of that happening would be if the children's parents had been killed in that Tennin war.

One boy. One girl. Curiously, there appearances were nearly identical. So, I pulled out my med scanner. The two children flinched momentarily, reinforcing my belief that they had lost their parents in the war. The clue was their fear of the technology my scanner represented… the technology that had been turned against their people on Tennin.

"Zeeu," I spoke as I analyzed the scan results, "these two are fraternal twins!"

"Twins?!" she gasped, clearly surprised.

"Twinnies!" Mia mimicked, giggling from astride Zeeu's shoulders.

"Do you remember your parents?" I asked the Aviani children.

Their perfectly synchronized head shakes brought a tear to my eyes.

"Hmm, do you have a name you like?" I asked.

Their faces brightening, the boy said, "Charlie!" The girl said, "Kathy!"

"Where did you hear those names?" I asked, grinning at their choices.

"The humans over there," Charlie responded, pointing toward the AIVAS building.

"Kathy?"

She nodded, grinning shyly.

"Do you two have someone you're staying with?" I asked.

The joy on their faces instantly vanished, their faces betraying the hurt they felt.

"What about the orphanage? There are other children there."

They both cringed, reaching out to hug each other. Totally silent, but their response to my question was like a cannon shot through my heart.

"Mama? I think they want to stay with you!" Zeeu suggested.

The hope in their eyes was unmistakable as they looked in unison at me.

"Katty!" Mia giggled. "Charry!"

"Is that what you want?" I asked, taking each by the hand.

Vigorously, they both nodded, tears pouring from their eyes.

"I see," I mused, my own tears falling. "What do you say, L'trel?"

He had been quietly observing the meeting from around the corner of the embassy building, most likely keeping an eye on Mia astride Zeeu's shoulders.

"I say," he quietly remarked, kneeling beside me, "welcome to the family… Charlie… Kathy."

Sobbing joyfully, Charlie threw his arms around L'trel's neck, Kathy around mine, all of us embracing, welcoming the newest members of our family. With any luck, it would soften any anger the Aviani might feel towards me for what I had been forced to do in order to give them a chance to survive on Pern.

Chapter 19 - The Way Forward (Elli's P.O.V.)

All through the planet, there was a massive explosion of weeping and wailing. It was via telepathy that I received the distress. All the Aviani women wept simultaneously. All through that month, they had only lain six larger eggs instead of 12 smaller ones. When the next month came along, the same thing happened. Not all the eggs were fertile, so they were eaten for breakfast, but those which were fertilized hatched healthy. But there weren't enough to guarantee survival of the species on Pern. Only the Conservatrix understood why Dana had done what she'd done, but that didn't make it any better. All she had was Angelica now, and what if something happened to her? She had lost her mate, but she was still young. She still laid eggs. Aviani usually mated for life, but she was on a new world, where there were new policies about how to live. She wanted desperately to adapt to those policies, but how by the name of the first egg was she supposed to do that when she couldn't produce enough children to carry on her legacy? Dana had cut the population in half! The children might be hatched healthy, but what if they ailed and died? What if some tragedy struck them? All her children save Angelica had died in that awful war.

"Those diseases don't exist on Pern," I reminded her. "This is a much more hospitable environment than Tennin. And you're also in a different reality now than you were in before. I notice you're deeply afraid of Lessa, but look at her hair; look at her eyes. Totally different colors, even though her face and build resemble F-Lessa. She's her antithesis. She would rather die than do anything to hurt you. And you'll have enough children to carry on your legacy. I promise. We'll vaccinate them the minute they're hatched. There're protocols for that."

"Eridani protocols?" asked Angeline fearfully.

"No, doctor's protocols as to when you can get what vaccines."

"But our young grow up so much faster than yours!" Angeline wailed.

"Not anymore!" I cried. "My young grow up just as fast as yours."

"I meant human young!" cried Angeline exasperatedly.

"Ours grow in intelligence faster, but not physical strength," I reminded her, "and that's what matters when it comes to vaccinations. At least they'll be able to understand what's going on, so we won't have to worry about making babies cry. I've often wondered how nurses can do that day by day and sleep at night. I guess I'm too empathic. I couldn't do it. I nearly cried myself each and every time my Raeana got vaccinated. Little kids' cries are just so sad!"

"I feel that, too," she said distractedly. "But what're we gonna do?"

"Your children will be much healthier here on Pern than they were on Tennin," I told her. "We've had plagues from time to time, but we don't anymore because of the vaccines."

"How often do we have to get vaccinated?" she asked.

"Depends on the vaccine," I said. "Some are only once-in-a-lifetime, some are once a month, some are three times, some are once a year, ... as I said before it all depends on the vaccine. The flu shot is the one you get once a year. Tetanus is once every 10 years. You get three hepatitis B, three HPV, three meningitis, three polio, ... the list goes on and on."

"I've never heard of any of those diseases," Angeline said, more interested now that I had taught her about vaccinations.

"We used to have all of those on Earth before vaccines were invented in the 20th century," I said. "Before then, we faced a similar crisis to what you faced on Tennin. Now that we have vaccines, we don't have to worry about plague anymore. Your children will live happily and healthily on Pern. You'll expand, though not as much as you would've if Dana hadn't implemented those protocols on us."

Angeline let out a long, shaky wail.

"You will thrive here. We had to implement those changes for yours and others' safety. Otherwise you would've been an invasive species, unintentionally, I assure you, but you would've destroyed Pern without those diseases to control the population."

"I want my children!" she sobbed. "I lost all but one of them! I need more!"

"Having more children will not replace the ones you lost," I told her. "And replacing the ones you lost is not a necessity here."

"But I don't want us to become extinct!" she wept.

"You won't," I cried, throwing my wings around her. "You'll have more children when you can find a mate. You'll be able to reproduce, just not as many or as often as you used to."

"Mama, Isis pooped in her diaper again!"

Austin had just flown into the room without me realizing the significance of what just happened, but the Conservatrix did. She jumped up, flapping her wings excitedly, her own grief temporarily forgotten.

"Congratulations, dear heart, you did it!" she cried, clapping her hands and flipping over and over in the air.

"What? I don't get it," I said. "You make no sense. You're bawling your eyes out one second, and then Austin comes in here to tell me Isis needs a diaper change and you explode! What's so special about that? G'narish is probably with him."

"No he's not, Mama," said Austin. "I came in here myself. I flew, Mama. I flew for the first time! No one else can do that yet."

"You flew?" Now it was my turn to do aerial acrobatics in joy. "I didn't even teach you yet!"

"I followed Daddy when he spread his wings for the first time," Austin whispered confidentially.

"I'd better get to my children. They're probably all ready to learn to fly," I said. "If ever you need healing, Conservatrix, I'm always right here."

"I need it now!" she cried, her grief returning in full measure. "I know what Dana did was necessary, but I just can't come to grips with it."

"I'll help you," I said. "I may love children, but I never wanted 12 children every month for a century."

"But Mama, what about Isis's poopy diaper?" Austin complained. "I can smell it from here! Why can't you potty train us now?"

"Potty training takes a long time and a lot of effort," I told him. "We'll get to it when you're two. You're one now, so that'll take a full Turn yet. Right now, let me take care of Auntie Angeline. Then I'll change Isis, and we'll get to flying lessons."

I knelt down, enfolded the Conservatrix in my wings of comfort, and began the process of healing. I knew it would be my job to heal all the Avianic women and help them come to grips with this change. It'd be a long, hard road ahead, but I would do it singlehandedly, because I was the only one to accept the change for what it was, a new way forward, a new beginning.

Altair – part of the constellation Aquila, The Eagle

Rukbat – α Sagittarius, part of the constellation Sagittarius, The Archer

Keymon, male Kendite / Sheena, female Kendite, Keymon's mate

Davar, male Aquilan / Merlea, female Aquilan, Davar's bond partner


End file.
